First Spark Of Darkness
by Im-SwellxD
Summary: A life without her darkness, a way to leave her past behind. Sarafina had made a life for herself over the years, gaining friends, a family and even a crush. But what happens when her new life is at risk due to a resurfacing evil from her past? What happens when her mask slips, revealing her former self? MxM, MxF Van/Ven, Zack/Terra, Leon&Sora, Axel&Roxas, Riku/OC and more!
1. Chapter 1

**Edited and Reuploaded: This PM/RP fanfiction had been a collaboration in late 2012 between myself and Vanitas' Queen21. I took everything off of my old account a while ago and recently decided to update and reupload again thanks to their enthusiastic urging not too long ago. I HOPE YOU ENJOY.**

* * *

For the better half of half a dozen hours, Vanitas had been running all throughout the halls of the castle within The World That Never Was, dodging and evading Ventus as often as he could while he was stuck in another insane sugar high from those damned drugged sweets that Axel continued to give him. _He hadn't actually found solid evidence that they WERE drugged, but his better half never became like that after a bag of normal sweets._

Having to slow down from over-exhaustion, Vanitas ducked into the lounge room, panting and sweating from his constant efforts in avoiding the blonde. He was dead tired and needed the break; he knew that the lounge actually had decent enough hiding places, at least-.

"Vanitas?" perking up at hearing his name, the ravenette glanced upwards on the far right of the room, golden eyes landing on a very familiar face who happened to be sitting atop a pretty tall ladder. Quirking a brow, he noticed the end of a sort of frilly, green Christmas decoration in the lilac haired girls' hand, a pin in the other.

"Hey, Sarafina. How's it goin'?" he greeted breathlessly, somewhat hunched over with his hands resting against his upper thighs. He gave her his patented smirk, too out of breath to put in the effort to make it real so it was rather weak.

"Pretty good, considering," she responded, pinning the end of the decoration in before straightening up, "Decorating is taking forever and Christmas is only the day after tomorrow, we might not finish," she shrugged, her hands now resting on her hips as she eyed her handiwork and then glanced towards him. _He had to admit that she did a lot more work when it came to yearly events such as Christmas and Easter, and even birthdays._

_Though he claimed Halloween along with that silver-haired friend of Sora's. He and Riku were Gods of that season._

"Maybe we get everyone else to help out," Vanitas shrugged with his suggestion. He found it pretty odd that she'd been doing it herself up until then. He'd have thought that everyone would be excited to decorate with her, "How come the others aren't here?" he frowned, arms crossing over his chest.

"Well, it was meant to be a surprise," she deadpanned, sighing softly as she leaned forward against the ladder, an elbow resting against the step with her hand cradling her cheek, "But it's taking too long-,"

"Vanitas!" his eyes grew wide with instant anxiety as the yell cut off the rest of Sara's sentence. A shudder shook his spine, the golden-eyed boy glancing around to the corridor.

"What was that? Sounded like Ventu-," she'd inquired, turning back to Vanitas, only... her gaze landed on a dust shaped variation of the dark soul, some of the dust leading up the hallway in the direction he'd been running before showing up in the lounge room.

Seconds later, her attention was drawn to a blonde-haired Keybearer stopping short of the entrance to the room, almost as pant-y as Vanitas had been. A smile graced his lips as he glanced up towards the ladder, their eyes locking.

"Hey," Ventus grinned widely, taking a few steps towards the ladder, "D'you know where Vanitas went?" with a questioning brow quirking high on her forehead, Sarafina gradually lifted her arm towards the direction Vanitas had bolted, following the dust trail that he'd left behind.

"Thank you!" the hyperactive blonde beamed before swiftly turning about and darting off in the direction she'd motioned to, her brows knitting with complete bemusement. She had no idea what'd happened but at least she could see why Vanitas had been so breathless earlier. Even _she_ had to admit that Ventus was incredibly fast.

Humming to herself and supplying her own theories, she'd almost missed the fiery redhead that strode within view in the hallway, catching her attention and giving her the thought to ask.

"Axel!" she called out, the Organization member stopping short and glancing around until his eyes fell to her as she descended the ladder, "What's going on?" Sara questioned, narrowing the distance between them quickly so that they wouldn't have to yell all that much.

"I gave Ventus some candy and may have told the mini-Roxas that Vanitas had the rest," he smirked mischievously, having apparently been scheming, probably out of boredom. She watched as the redhead turned away, his pace faster than before as he left the area in order to catch up with the two.

Having left Sarafina to her thoughts, she crossed her arms over her chest, her hip cocking, "Didn't know Ven could get that hyper..." she trailed off, blinking flatly at the thought that Ventus could be that easily wound up for other peoples enjoyment. And Vanitas obviously had to be the victim in this situation, "Guess I should save Vanitas," she sighed exasperatedly, shaking her head.

Giving the lounge one last glance, feeling proud of her handiwork, Sara sauntered out of the room and made her way towards the castle kitchen, hoping to have something or ingredients to _make_ something that would take Ventus' attention away from Vanitas. She knew that the boy had a major sweet tooth and the attention span of a gnat when doing anything that wasn't training.

"What to make," she muttered to herself, descending the stairs to the lower level where she knew the kitchen happened to be, "What to make," the girl wondered as she opened the door to the room. By her logic, whatever Axel liked, the kid loved, so if she made something that Axel _loved_ then Ventus would adore it. _Her home-made cookies, then._

"Sarafina," she flinched, surprised by the person already inside the room, "Why are you here?" the much larger man greeted in his own way, the girl attempting to compose herself and calm her beating heart. She hadn't been expecting anyone to be in the kitchen this early in the morning. _Talk about jumpscare._

"Xaldin," she greeted calmly, having finally relaxed for the moment, "I'm trying to save Vanitas from a candy-crazed Ven," she informed simply as she went about retrieving the needed ingredients for her home-made cookies.

"I doubt much would calm that boy down after having been given sugar," _much less after having been given sugar by AXEL of all people. His sugar could be considered CONCENTRATED,_ "Might I suggest a food laced with a sleep potion?" the Organization member smirked devilishly, as if scheming along with the pyromaniac.

"Alright, do you _have_ a sleep potion?" Sarafina questioned pointedly, half-heartedly hoping that he did while hoping that he'd actually been joking. Though knowing Xaldin...

"In fact, I do," _of course._ Without much being said after his affirmation, she went about getting started on the cookie making, starting off by washing down her place at the counter and then washing her hands.


	2. Chapter 2

Having been hiding under his bed for what felt like a decade, Vanitas debated whether or not he would be safe if he left his means of invisibility, considering his chances of being found if he continued lying there or if Ven even entered his room. It wasn't as though he spent a lot of his time in his own room-.

"Vanitas~," the ravenette swallowed thickly and buried his head in his arms, "I know you're hiding in here," Ventus creepily stated upon opening the door to his room, sounding far too hyper and jittering from the sugar for Vanitas to feel even remotely safe at that point as the other stepped into the room. He could see his boots meandering through the darker souls' space, rounding the bed and heading for the clothes cupboard.

He clenched his jaw, staying perfectly quiet as his counterpart stepped over to the attached bathroom, opening the door with a swift swing and peeking in. Obviously, he'd seen no one and Vanitas regretted not moving from his hiding spot, watching as Ven closed the door and immediately sauntered towards the bed, the tips of his shoes mere inches from his face. _He was going to find him. Vanitas was doomed!-_

"Ven, I have a present for you," he swallowed, chest tight with his lack of breathing, having realized that he'd been holding his breath for the longest time. His wide gaze followed the rushing boots as they darted towards the bedroom door.

"You do?!" Ventus called back excitedly, leaning out of the room from what Van could see, "Thank you!" just then, he saw a pair of familiar shoes to go along with the familiar voice belonging to his saviour, Sarafina having just saved him.

"They're home-made cookies. Eat as much as you like, Ven!" while still hiding under his mattress, Vanitas peeked out from beneath it, being sure to keep himself out of sight of the slightly shorter blonde as he was given a bag of treats. He finally let out that breath he'd been holding and sagged against the floor, physically exhausted from the tension.

"C'mon," he heard the girl speak up after a moment, Vanitas opening his eyes to see her crouch in front of his bed, a hand held out to him. He took it loosely, being helped out from his safe zone with a tired groan. Axel was dead next time he saw the bastard,

"They're mixed with a sleeping potion," he heard Sara whisper, the darker soul quirking a brow and an amused smirk at her deviousness, "When he conks out, run like hell before Terra gets here and finds out, or he'll kill you," he gave her a nod in return, fully aware that he'd be a dead man walking if that particular Keybearer found out about this. Though in saying that…

"He's going to find out soon, I heard Ven saying he called him earlier to help out with something," he whispered in return, lifting a hand to shield his mouth from the blonde munching on cookies. He saw the confused stare she gave him, his expression turning to something akin to a deadpan, "He's coming _here,"_ Vanitas emphasized.

"Well, you'd better run fast when he finds out," Sarafina whispered back with _more_ emphasis to get her point across, her arms crossing tightly over her chest. Either way, Van had to bolt beforehand.

"What're you two whispering about? Can I join?" Ventus spoke up, the two glancing ahead to see the blonde crouched in front of them, crumbs dotting his lips while he eyed them, a half-full bag of cookies in hand with one being munched on. _Had he really gotten through half the bag of home-made cookies already? They were pretty big, thick and filling, made for snacking on over time rather than inhaling like his counterpart seemed to have been doing._

"Nothing! Enjoy the cookies, Ven," she beamed firmly, her hand reaching out to grip the blondes' shoulder in a good-natured gesture before throwing a thumbs-up towards Vanitas, "And good luck," all too quickly to seem as innocent as she came off, Sara climbed to her feet and brushed herself off.

"I'm going to the islands if you need me. I need a break and I've never seen the ocean before," she smiled widely, appearing excited about the prospect, "See ya later," the girl waved animatedly before leaving the room, closing the door behind her and leaving the boys to it.

He and Ventus sat crouched on the floor, the darker souls' brow quirking high on his brow as he stared at the closed door, blinking blankly. He then remembered that she hadn't actually been to the islands, having only mentioned it a few times before to him directly. It was a wonder how she hadn't already when everyone else had.

He flinched slightly when his lighter counterpart moved to stand rather abruptly, still somewhere in his sugar high but far less hyperactive than before. He watched cautiously as he shifted towards the bed, climbing up to sit on the edge with a smile. _He looked way calmer,_ giving Vanitas the courage to climb to his feet as well, still watching the other as he dropped to sit beside him, the blonde dropping his head against Van's shoulder.

"I'm a little tired," Ventus stated with slight grogginess to his tone, yawning widely and even rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand as the drug started to take effect. The ravenette both felt relief and some guilt for him, internally fist-pumping and kicking himself.

"Then sleep," he suggested somewhat rhetorically, fully aware that he would pretty fast depending on which drug Sarafina had used in her baking.

"Don't you think of running off, you sweet thi..ef," Ven slurred, reaching out and grabbing the collars of his jacket, the grip loose as he gradually became heavier against him, his weight leaning on him while he fell asleep on his shoulder and side.

"Sweet dreams," Vanitas smirked, _warmly,_ rather than evilly, the ravenette carefully lacing his arms around the blonde and manoeuvring him into a comfortable position on his bed. Eyeing his lighter half, the darker soul reached out, brushing some blonde strands aside before _reluctantly_ kissing his forehead, swiftly turning away and heading towards the door to leave. Aware that he would get hell for this from a specific brunette, he could at least help Sarafina by decorating a room or two before Terra decided to kill him for this.

_Silence growing throughout the halls, Terra stood against a wall, hidden by the shadows surrounding his corner. He glared, having seen most that had occurred regarding Sarafina, Vanitas and Ven._


	3. Chapter 3

"You're both in so much trouble," Terra growled quietly to himself as he stepped into Vanitas' room, his gaze drifting to Ventus. He'd have commented on how at ease and relaxed he appeared while asleep if he hadn't known that his slumber were drug-induced. He was thankful that the black-haired soul hadn't left him on the floor or in a hallway in that state.

Grumbling to himself, he closed the door behind himself and sauntered down the hallway, making his way towards the lounge area in search of Vanitas. He had a few bones to pick with him, one being a high priority consider what he and Sarafina had done to his comrade.

Following hall after hall of walking, Terra found himself walking through a pair of large doors, another of the larger living areas being revealed as he came face to face with a blue-hued space, sitar paintings hanging all over with bubble frames and music posters scattered here and there.

"Yo, how goes it, Superior?" humming in question, his gaze drifted to an Organization member, Demyx laying spread out along one of the many sofas facing a wide floor to ceiling window overlooking the city surrounding the castle. Regardless of how gloomy this world was, it didn't take away the surprisingly amazing sight of the world from the castle windows.

"I'm not the Superior," the Keybearer finally responded, his tone guarded and flat upon being called that again, "Can you do me a favour?" he questioned as a way to divert the conversation. t wasn't as if he had no knowledge of the other versions of Xehanort. He'd done well to avoid them since their first introduction.

"Anything for you, Superior. It's Christmas~," the sandy blonde sang as he pushed himself to a sitting position and then climbed to his feet, rounding the sofa with his arms spread while beginning to hum the beginning of some Christmas tune.

"Tell Vanitas that I need to see him on Destiny Island as soon as possible," Terra called out, attempting to be louder than the poorly hummed song and managing to do so as Demyx gradually quietened down due to his higher volume.

"But he's dead," the boy quirked a _forced_ confused brow at him, posture stiff and unintentionally giving away that he'd been hiding Vanitas since Terra arrived, "How am I going to tell him?" the uncertain twitch in his brow further confirmed the brunette's suspicions.

"I know for a fact that he isn't, but he will be," he mentioned loud enough to be heard throughout the entire room, his sharp gaze scanning the sitar players lounge room, "Get moving," he ordered directly towards Vanitas laxly before turning to leave the room, closing the doors behind him with an unnecessary force.

He strode along the halls, sharp senses taking in every detail of each room he passed. He was aware that Vanitas had probably left for the island already, and if not, it wouldn't take much for him to hunt the idiot down. Thanks to Ventus, the darker soul had become all too easy to predict, whether it be the blonde making them hang out too often or Vanitas simply relaxing around the other Keyblade wielders.

Either way, the black-haired boy had been easy to see through after their first real introduction after the whole ordeal with Xehanort and his attempts to birth the X-Blade from the two severed souls.

Gradually stepping out into the only space with an actual live garden, Terra glancing around in faint awe at the beauty and vibrant colours of the sprouting flowers. He'd been there before, having deemed it a sort of secret space since he hadn't seen anyone else bar for himself hang around there. Though he'd had an inkling that it belonged to Zexion. Regardless of the mans' lack of expression, he seemed to find it easier conversing with animals and plants rather than humans. _That and he may have seen him reading a book on flower growth a while ago, about the time the garden had **really** started blooming._

Shoving the thoughts aside, Terra ran a hand through his hair, sighing softly as he felt a flicker of darkness in the air, a gloomy tang reaching his senses. It seemed that Vanitas had finally disappeared from this world. It felt like an Unversed portal rather than the normal ones that were regularly used in the place.

Turning towards the glass doors that led to the open garden, he strode out of the greenhouse and out into the open air, being sure to stay away from the beds of flowers and extra foliage. The master summoned his armour and Kayblade, a shine taking over the greenhouse for a mere second as it flickered into materialization, his blade in hand.

Eyeing it over for a moment, he braced himself and threw it, watching it disappear into the darkness in the sky before flashing and gradually appearing once more, heading towards him as his motorcycle-glider.

Stepping forward as it quickly closed the distance between them, he vaulted into the air and gracefully landed on it, sitting himself down and getting comfortable while leaning forward to grip the handles, getting a feel for it again.

He eased the glider forward, tilting it up to soar towards the clouds and away from the castle, another flash shining as a portal was opened and he drove through to glide through the limbo-like state between worlds, leaving The-World-That-Never-Was.

* * *

_Vod: A bit shorter than the first two chapters._


	4. Chapter 4

"These islands are amazing," she sighed softly as she watched the evening hues mix like water and paint in the sky, clouds easing with them like a brush and the water of the oceans gently rushing through the sand only a few feet from where she lay basking.

They were beautiful, awe-inspiring and nothing but peace-giving with warmth and the calming effect it gave. She wished that one day, she could live here with Sora, Riku and Kairi, her own house, her own school uniform and her own spot in the sand alongside the three.

"Who're you?" a feminine voice reached her senses, Sara shifting in the sand to sit up and glance around, her eyes lifting to a blue-clad woman, blue hair, blue eyes, blue clothes and a gentle look in her gaze, "I'm Aqua," she smiled softly.

"Sarafina. It's nice to meet you," she smiled in return, wrapping her arms around her knees as she drew them up. She was familiar, her appearance matching a description Ventus gave her a while ago, "Aren't you Ven and Terra's friend?" she questioned, gesturing to the space beside her, to which Aqua gracefully took up as she sat.

"I am. How d'you know them?" it seemed as though she'd asked out of her own curiosity, her gaze telling her that she already knew, but wanted to get the answer from Sara herself.

"Long story," the lilac-haired girl somewhat forced her smile, recalling the fact that she'd technically drugged this woman's friend. She'd been worried about Terra finding out that she'd helped in doing it, but she'd heard scarier stories about _Aqua_ when the woman was angry.

"Is something wrong?" she tilted her head in question, a soft and graceful movement that gave her the impression _against_ those stories. The gentle and kind woman hiding a much more dangerous side, appearing as a warm mother like figure instead of the strong and unbeatable _Master_ she'd been anointed a while ago by the Master himself.

"I feel a little guilty about something is all," Sara admitted vaguely, the womans' brow quirking high on her forehead at the unclear statement. She wondered whether she could or should explain, feeling as though she would understand. Ven had explained that she was far more forgiving and open than the brunette.

"It was only a sleeping potion, and it'll wear off pretty fast," she started in her own defence, not wanting any trouble straight from the start, and from the woman appearing to already be invested with an understanding gaze, she was safe so far, "Ven got hyper after having been given a lot of sugar and was harassing Vanitas to the point that he was hiding under his bed from him," Sara explained in a slight rush, taking a breath by the end of it.

"So you knocked Ven out to save Vanitas?" the woman summed up gradually, seeming more amused than anything else, her smile growing into something close to _entertained_ rather than punishing or anywhere near something Sarafina should take as a warning, "That's actually pretty smart,"… _huh?_

"You're not mad?" she asked rhetorically as she moved to stand, Aqua following her to her feet with more grace than necessary. Sara gawked at her, blinking with lost thoughts and confusion as to why she didn't seem all that bothered.

"Ven's not allowed to have sugar," the Master stated with a deadpanned tone as if that alone gave her forgiveness for her drugged cookies, "I should have thought of that back when we all lived together on The-Land-of-Departure," she continued, speaking in general rather than to Sara directly. It seemed as though she fell into her own memories, a nostalgic expression crossing her delicate features.

"So I only have to worry about Terra," she sighed softly, wondering whether or not she could simply avoid him with the help of Aqua. She recalled Ven boasting about the womans' abilities in persuasion and evasion.

"Don't worry, I'll handle him," Aqua smirked knowingly, winking before turning towards the ocean. Regardless of the peaceful look that crossed her face, Sara could see the cogs turning, thoughts drifting through her mind. _She hoped that it was a way to aid the lilac-haired girl. She didn't feel like running with a target on her back, courtesy of a soon-to-be Master Terra._

Relief taking the tension from her shoulders, Sarafina rounded her arms to her back, hands lacing behind her as she eased some. It'd been to help Vanitas from a hyperactive Ventus and Aqua had said it herself that he couldn't have sugar. If she knew that, then Terra should as well. He had to at least understand that, right? _She'd done it for a good reason._

Upon hearing an excited and familiar voice somewhere behind them, she took a glance over her shoulder, scanning the sand dunes in front of the houses on the inhabited island until she saw the ever renowned head of brunette, spikes protruding in every direction. A smile graced her lips, Sarafina about to take a step towards him when he saw Kairi and Riku following after him, abruptly stopping her before she made tracks.

"What's wrong?" her gaze returned to Aqua, noting the curious glint in her blues before they followed the direction she'd been looking, brow quirking at the group of three. She watched them for a long moment and returned her eyes to Sara's, blinking blankly with a soft stare.

"No, nothing," she swiftly shook her head, waving her hands as if to shrug the situation off, but then her gaze simply drifted back to the taller silverette as he strode through sand behind the other two, saying something that she couldn't hear but still, she could imagine his voice, having heard it before and it was akin to gentle music for her, "It's just… Riku," she breathed out, a little lost in her moment and unintentionally sounding drawn in.

"Aaaah, I see~," she heard from beside her, Aqua having picked up on her deep crush anything else needing to be said. Her attention never wavered as Sarafina continued to gaze at him, "Why not go and say hi. I'm sure Sora would enjoy the extra company," the woman commented in a way that made it seem as though she would be there for Sora rather than there for Riku. _In truth, it made it feel less stressful._

"I could, couldn't," Sarafina muttered softly, more to herself but feeling the warm, nervous fluttering in her chest as she pictured herself hanging with the group, hanging with Riku. She didn't want to make a fool of herself, nor did she want anyone mentioning anything she'd done that she had been embarrassed about.

"You could… or you could miss your chance," Aqua whispered, gently nudging her shoulder with her elbow in an attempt to give her a shove in the right direction. Sarafina swallowed thickly before looking back towards the three and took the next steps herself, building her courage gradually to talk to him once she was within earshot without needing to yell. _Speaking to Sora first might actually help her with her self-esteem issue in chatting to Riku._

About three-quarters way towards them, she'd began to call out when the sounds of portals' opening reached her ears, Sarafina snapping her gaze over her shoulder to see Vanitas standing by Aqua and one opening up in the air above the ocean, Terra appearing through it on his Motor-glider.

"Uh oh," she grimaced to herself, tension returning.


	5. Chapter 5

Eyes growing wide upon seeing the two, she abruptly turned around to leave, hoping to dart through Vanitas' portal before it closed. She'd been about to start her sprint when-

"Sarafina!" an arm swiftly laced around her, a curse being muttered under her breath while her muscles tightened with tension, the arm around hers stopping her before she even made tracks. Her gaze fell briefly to Aqua, a look of pleading crossing her face while in desperate need of help. Instead, she received a wink only a moment before Terra's glider eased to a stop behind the blue-clad woman, getting in between Sara and her means of escape.

"We're about to race, you wanna join?" she heard Sora ask from beside her, turning her gaze towards where she'd heard him to see that _he_ was the one attached to her arm, keeping her in place and making her unable to make a run for it. _Sora was her downfall at that very moment!_

"Hey, Sarafina," the warm, aloof voice reached her ears, the lilac-haired girl feeling a cool shudder run up her spine before she could stop it. Letting her eyes drift to her other side, they fell on the silver-haired Keybearer, a soft look on his face that made her knees weak for a brief moment before she forced her composure to stay exactly where it was meant to be.

"Hi, Riku," she smiled, trying a little too hard what with the immense build up of heat in her chest and stomach, heart beginning to hammer within her ribcage and threatening to break a rib or two from the speed and force.

"Are you alright?" she quirked a brow at his question, expression changing to confusion for a few seconds before he'd gestured to her face. Raising a hand to her cheeks, she felt the warmth spreading, burning her palm.

Kairi's soft hum drew her attention, the lilac-haired girl glancing towards her, "Your cheeks are red. You coming down with something?" her heart pumped that much faster upon realizing that the heat had risen to her face, warming her skin.

"Ah! Nope! No, I'm perfectly fine," she turned away from the three, easily slipping her arm from Sora's playful and loose grip. Giving a swift stare to Aqua for help, she saw her and Terra talking, the latter seeming less than pleased but put in his place by her, Sarafina forced a smile to her face again, Vanitas waving and gesturing to a dark smudge on the ground a few feet from her.

"But I really do have to go. I'll see you later, okay?" she abruptly spun and waved to the three rather frantically before taking a few steps back, that dark smudge spreading fast and growing until the portal towered behind her, "Bye!"

\- Riku

"Hey, wait a sec-," Riku called out just as the portal closed around her, engulfing the girl in its shroud, "Dammit," he cursed under his breath, huffing softly as he watched the darkness face into the sand, leaving nothing behind.

"What's wrong?" he heard Sora ask from beside him, Riku glancing towards the shorter Keybearer just in time to see him cross his arms behind his head, appearing as relaxed as ever. Shaking his head, the silverette let his gaze return to the spot Sarafina had been standing.

"Nothing. She seemed like she wanted to get out of here as soon as she could. Made me feel a little off is all," he replied with a shrug, his arms crossing over his chest as he went through what had happened. He felt as though maybe she were actually sick and that's why she'd been in a rush, or maybe it'd been Terra; the older Keybearer seemed to put her off a little the moment he arrived.

"Maybe she was really ill?" Kairi mentioned from behind them, gradually stepping up beside the two boys with a questioning head tilt, her hands linked behind her back as her gaze fell to the sand and then across to the older Masters near the water. _Vanitas having disappeared at some point,_ Riku noted absentmindedly.

"And you two call _me_ dense and thick-headed," the brunette spoke up, catching Riku's attention. He swiftly shot his gaze towards the other boy, brow knitting in the centre. He felt as though Sora knew something he didn't, and considering how rare that was, he didn't like it.

"Huh?" Kairi hummed in question for both of them, stepping around to stand ahead of the other, the silverette turning towards him as well.

"Really? I gotta spell it out for you?" Sora deadpanned, sighing softly as he uncrossed his arms and glanced between the two, "She has a crush on you," the brunette gestured towards Riku, said boy blinking blankly for a long, lingering moment while he processed that little bit of information. It took him longer than he'd have thought, barely registering the moment Sora turned around and headed for the path that led to the boats they used to get to Destiny Island.

"You okay, Riku?" Kairi asked from beside him, the silver-haired boy feeling the weight of her hand rest against his shoulder. Glancing towards her, he saw her understanding smile, Riku giving her a subtle nod.

"Yeah, just give me a minute," in truth, he had no idea how to react. He wasn't really new to people having affection for him, but rarely did he ever get told that someone had a crush on him. In school, they'd deemed him unapproachable at best with only Kairi and Sora hanging around him.

Shaking his head to push his thoughts back, he took a step in the direction Sora had gone, the two picking up the pace to catch up to the brunette. How had _he_ seen it when Riku was the most observant of the three. He was well trained in seeing things others didn't and yet, here they were.


	6. Chapter 6

Having pretty much bolted the moment he'd helped Sarafina escape, Vanitas quickly wandered the halls of the castle again, striding through the tall and narrow, grey and white walkways with far more alertness to his senses than before. He felt as though Terra could jump out of nowhere and tear him a new one, especially after disappearing before he could scold him. _Not that anything of what happened was even his fault, but whatever._

Huffing softly, he reached a hand to his hair and exasperatedly threaded his fingers through his spikes. He was done. He could sleep for a few days and maybe miss Christmas at this point. Socially tired from everything that happened, he felt as though he could hide away and enjoy his solitude, _but then Ventus was in his bed._

Scratching at his neck, Vanitas decided to head to Demyx again, hoping that the blonde wasn't in his lounge room. He seemed to vary from room to room most of the time and he'd usually found his room empty. And the sitar player never really complained about him being there.

With that thought in mind, the ravenette headed towards the Nobodies lounge, his pace somewhat fast and brisk. Sleep was calling and he wanted to leave everyone to their business. At best as well, Terra wouldn't think to look in on Demyx again to Vanitas. It wasn't as though the Keybearer knew how his strategic mind worked.

Walking back towards the room, the dark soul rounded corner after corner within the halls of the castle, finally managing to find the doors once again in this maze of a building. Reaching for the handle to the room, he drew it open and stepped inside, brows knitting in a soft frown upon seeing the sitar player sprawled across the couch much like before, a portable gaming device in hand with crashing and battle sounds coming from the speakers.

"Still here, huh," he asked rhetorically, seemingly surprising the blonde as he jerked and flinched, eyes snapping towards him with the game being abruptly paused. He was stared at for a long moment before the Nobody appeared to register who he was.

"The brown-haired Superior came around," the boy mentioned, Vanitas reminding himself that Terra was technically a pre-Superior to the black coats, "Said he was looking for you," quirking a brow in question, he knew that already. The man had scared him into showing up on the islands just from talking to the sitar players room.

"Yeah, I was there, you hid me, remember?" the ravenette shrugged, arms crossing over his chest with a head tilt portraying his mild confusion. He hadn't thought that the blonde had any issues with remembering. Contrary to a few people's opinions, Demyx had a great memory.

"Noooooo, he came by _again,_ you noodle," he just had issues with his brain-to-mouth filter sometimes. Vanitas nodded in understanding before walking further into the room in the hope of getting at least a few minutes of sleep.

"Can't you tell him I'm dead or something?" he commented as he went about looking for a safe hiding place to sleep the rest of the day off, going as far as to even search through the far more cluttered area of the room, that probably being his best bet since he could make a sort of fort out of it all.

"You will be for real if you don't meet up with him," the sitar player replied rather seriously, drawing Vanitas' gaze for a moment from the uncharacteristic tone he'd taken on. Had Terra scared him into listening or something? "He's waiting on the island. Said something about not liking the interior of this place," the blonde finished, gesturing to the walls with a rotating finger.

Frowning heavily, Vanitas reluctantly turned back towards the doors, "Fine," he grumbled, "Mind writing 'All Powerful' on my tomb stone when I'm dead?" the dark soul asked as he reached for the handle, taking a glance over his shoulder towards the other.

"Can do, Sora!" the blonde replied, lifting his hand to give him a thumbs up. He'd only then registered the name he'd been called, his frown becoming a comical scowl before he whipped open the door and strode out of the room, making his way down the hallway, ignoring Demyx' excited little 'Later' that followed him out of the lounge. _He literally thought that he was Sora the whole time?_

Forcing himself to keep his cool, the ravenette lifted a hand out to the space ahead of him and called on his portal, the black smudge appearing on the ground before drastically expanding the closer he got. Stepping into his darkness, it engulfing him, he let it take over until a bit of light peered through the ghostly black smoke. Taking a step out, he found himself on the beaches of the islands, though not on the actual island itself that he'd been visiting to persuade Ventus to fight that one time.

Looking over the island out in the distance with just a slightly nostalgic feel, he shook his head and eyed the sandy space around him, finding Terra and Aqua standing further back against the back just ahead of the path that led to the town.

He gradually and reluctantly strode towards them, his wariness growing as he felt as though they were _both_ going to kill him. He was about ready to turn around and run by the time he reached them, but instead, he dropped his head forward in a sort of bow towards the two.

"It was Axels' fault, he gave him the sweet! I know all too well that he can't have them, but it was all him. Sarafina gave him the drugged cookies, not me! But I _am_ really sorry for it happening on my watch!" he blurted in a rush, still standing in a sort of bowing position in front of them. He really didn't feel like dying, but he also didn't feel like taking the entire blame when he was technically the victim.

"It's alright," the man grunted, his tone completely reluctant and not his choice of words. Vanitas bowed further, back arching along with his movements.

"I'm sorr-," he suddenly registered the sentence, brow creasing in confusion, "Wait, what?" he asked, leaving his bowing position and lifting his gaze to the man, staring at him.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Short chapter, I know.**_

* * *

"Sarafina explained it to Aqua," the brunette mentioned sourly with a defensive tension built up in his tightly crossed arms, as if he'd been all for punishing him for what happened but couldn't, "And it was actually Aqua that wanted to see you," quirking a brow, the dark souls' gaze drifted to the woman.

"Huh?" Vanitas questioned dumbly, all the worry washing from him upon seeing the kind stare he received from Aqua as she stepped forward. Though it took him only a few seconds to see the very well hidden twinkle in her eyes, a scheming glint sparkling in her bright blues.

"I need a favour," the woman commented softly, her tone completely contradicting her devilish glint. Something was going on and she wanted _his_ help? That could only mean a few things, one of them being the risk of injuries. _And Vanitas didn't really feel like obtaining any, not when he'd been so close to having received them in the first place after the whole Ventus and the drugged cookies kerfuffle._

"My cooperation depends on whether it's life-threatening or not," the ravenette replied flatly, hands being pocketed lazily with his posture easing up and slouching some. He felt far less likely to get a beating from either of them if they needed him for something and hopefully, his reluctance towards getting hurt wouldn't change that.

"I've stopped Terra from murdering you. You owe me," _that wasn't a guarantee that he wouldn't get hurt!_ 'Damn it' he cursed under his breath, muscles tensing just slightly at that before a haughty huff left his chest in resignation, "I need your help dealing with Sarafina and her crush," he blanked, brows raising with confusion spreading across his face.

"Who and her what now?" he voiced his perplexity, glancing between the two before he started to actually process the situation and recalling three words in particular, "Sarafina has a crush?" he hadn't actually realized it, though in truth, Vanitas hadn't noticed _his own_ feelings before he and Ventus became a thing.

"On Riku, yeah," the bluenette clarified simply, nodding along with him as he'd finally caught up with the conversation. _It'd almost felt as though they'd expected him to be slow in the matter._ Vanitas internally grumbled to himself at that, refraining from holding it against them in order to avoid any bad blood in the future. _Ven's wishes and all that._

Having a slight epiphany, a wide smirk gradually stretched across his face, "Does this mean I get to be sneaky?" the ravenette quirked a brow at the woman, seeing the nod from the brunette man beside the master.

"Yes, but you'll have to get Sora to play along. We need his help," Aqua explained with a forced smile as Vanitas' expression dropped to a childish glare upon hearing his copy's name and that they needed _his_ help as well, "Unless you want me to dye your hair and make you wear coloured contacts," and just like that, his mind had changed.

"Nope, I like my hair, but thanks," the ravenette replied swiftly before stepping around the woman and opening a portal only a few feet behind her, "I'll get his help," Vanitas added grumpily. Walking through the dark oval, the ravenette shrugged off the 'thank you's that the master sent his way before he'd disappeared into his world of darkness. _The only thing he'd hate more than looking like the idiot was **pretending to be** said idiot._

Walking through his black voidance, Vanitas followed the invisible path through to the other side of where he'd forced it to lead, the light sparking as the other end of his gateway opened, the ravenette stepping into more sand upon stepping through the curtain of dark smoke, finding himself on the other island, the one that his doppelganger grew up on.

Glancing around, his golden gaze landed on the oddly angled tree on the smaller island, falling on the three casually hanging out at the base of it and _on_ it as they watched the sunset in the distance. It hadn't yet touched the water on the horizon, having only just changed the hues of the sky from blue to a mixed shade of red and orange.


	8. Chapter 8

"Why _here_ of all places," the lilac-haired girl sighed, staring up at the large, misplaced mansion within Twilight Town through the thickly barred gates separating her from the front yard. As gloomy as it appeared, it was still a sight to see, but she knew that Vanitas rarely ever focused on the beauty of landscapes or stopped to smell the roses. He was far more objective than a touchy-feely person. _Maybe it'd been a quick choice that he hadn't really thought about?_

He _should_ have, Sarafina still had decorations to pin-up before Christmas came around otherwise they'd be too late. At this rate, she would _have_ to ask for help instead of surprising everyone.

"Still, that was too close," she groaned softly, her hands lifting to rest against her hips as she slouched some, emotionally exhausted after the days' events. So much had happened and all she'd wanted to do was finish decorating and then lounge around until Christmas.

"What was too close?" she flinched violently with a sharp yelp, abruptly jumping a few feet away from the origin of the soft yet gritty voice, her back roughly knocking against the solid gate of the mansion.

"Don't sneak up on people like that!" she snapped automatically, her widened gaze landing on the slightly taller figure shrouded in the well known black coat, the garment completely covering the body in darkness. She couldn't see any skin or even the persons' eyes. His size told her that the figure couldn't be that much older than Sora or even Riku, standing at a height between the two, and male from the voice and the lack of breasts.

"Apologies," the stranger replied calmly, his head tilting to the side and forcing his hood along with the movement. An eerie feeling brushed against the girls' shoulders', her mind and body telling her that something was wrong about him, "You're not from this world," the statement drew her attention, his head tilting further as if in a motion of question, but not directed at her entirely.

"What's it to you?" Sara counter-questioned as she lifted herself from the gates and cautiously kept a few feet between them as she rounded the stranger, the opening of his hood following her and making that feeling grow the longer she stayed there with him.

"Your name," the boy requested rather firmly, a deep frown crossing her features as he turned towards her, still following her as she came to a stop, nerves itching under her skin. The urge to leave was strong, but her mind supplied her with the notion that she should at least figure him out before reporting him to someone.

"Sarafina, and you are?" the girl replied carefully, still keeping a decent distance from him while the two stood there, the length of the gate between them.

"You're the Keybearer'," the boy stated, apparently aware of who she was while choosing to ignore her question, the stare he'd been giving her seeming far more intense and hard as it bore through his face. _And it almost felt as though he'd found something he'd been looking for,_ making that feeling worse and foreboding.

"How d'you know that?" Sarafina growled, tension building fast in her posture and hardening her muscles as if ready for the stranger to attack or for herself to run. Fight or Flight began to kick in, thrumming through her veins and pumping the blood loudly in her skull.

"I have my sources," the boy replied curtly, a chuckle lacing his words and jolting his shoulders. If the off-putting sensation the stranger gave her hadn't informed her of where he stood in terms of good and bad, that dark laugh definitely did. It reminded her of Vanitas' when he'd been Xehanorts' puppet, ready to kill and maim at the drop of a hat.

Sarafina subtly angled her body towards the forest, ready to run for it. Not that she needed help with a fight, she simply couldn't gauge this one. She hadn't seen him in the Castle among the other Nobodies and he definitely didn't feel like them, the atmosphere was darker, evil-Vanitas levels of dark.

In the blink of an eye, the coated boy disappeared from view, the girl flinching slightly before making a move to bolt from the area. Only, a sudden grip on her arms stopped her, tight and harsh, unforgiving in that it'd leave a mark as they were angled behind her back. The sharp pain drew a shout from her throat, the girl immediately struggling against him.

"Let go of me, you creep!" Sarafina snapped over her shoulder, squirming and attempting to kick at the boys' legs as he roughly kept a hold of her, going as far as to swing her skull back to knock against his but to no avail. He did well to stay out of harms' way.

"Now that's not very nice," the boy chuckled from behind her, the ache in her arms and shoulders getting worse and feeling as if it were burning as she couldn't bend the way he seemed to think she could.

"Hey! Let her go!" at the sound of the familiar voice, Sarafina snapped her gaze towards the forest entry to see Roxas standing there, a scowl on his features as he saw them, his duel Keyblades being summoned on the spot.

"Roxas!-" Sarafina called out, a burst of pain spreading throughout her stomach cutting her off as the stranger punched her in the gut without mercy or restraint, or at least it felt as if there'd been no restraint as she doubled over and dropped to her knees, the boy having let her fall and shoved her onto her side. She coughed harshly, wheezing as she'd been winded and trying to catch her breath while the boy simply chuckled and stepped closer.

"Want her back?" she heard the stranger question coyly, his grip grabbing at her shirt and pulling her up. From the corner of the dazed eyes, she saw the smoke of darkness spreading and fanning around her and the boys' legs, another chuckle leaving him, "Tell your pals to meet me at the Keyblade Graveyard,"

"Wait!" she heard just before the black took over in one swift whoosh, her eyes becoming blind with the dark world inside the portal. She felt herself being lifted effortlessly, her gaze finally meeting the boys, a light blue shade as soft as the ocean surrounding the islands, but so cold that they could be mistaken for icy waters.

"It's nice to finally meet you," the boys' soft yet gritty voice echoed within the darkness, an angry resistance building in her chest and drawing a scowl to her expression.


	9. Chapter 9

Walking along the bridge towards the Paupu tree, Vanitas' gaze focused on the three occupying the space around the base of the oddly angled log, the ravenette being well aware that two of the three weren't particularly fond of his company. The girl seemed to be on the fence about him for the most part, the mini-Ansem having a flat out dislike of him. _Not that he could fault him at all after the shit he put the older Keybearers' through, what he put Riku's **hero** through. _

_And yes, he knew that Terra was his hero._

"Hey," he called out casually, watching as the three swiftly turned around to meet his gaze, two of which appeared disgruntled almost immediately, a frown growing on one of the faces.

"What d'you want?" Riku greeted _oh so lovingly,_ his glare giving off so much _happiness_ to see him that it made Vanitas' day. The ravenette scoffed, his arms crossing over his chest while his posture became passive towards them.

"Just here for Sora's opinion, not to bother you, princess," the glare he received up until then only deepened, growing darker by the second and he could see that darkness that Ansem had been after a few years back. There was a sharp tang in the air surrounding him, something akin to a warning that Vanitas simply brushed off.

"What's going on?" the brunette asked as he stepped away from the two others, closing the distance and following after the ravenette as he began to step further away, the two gradually walking along the wooden bridge so that they were out of earshot of the other two.

"Some stealthy stuff," he smirked devilishly. The expression dropped to a deadpanned look when he saw the dubious stare he was given, "Setting up two friends. Sarafina and Riku. You in?" he shrugged, his blunt, straightforward and completely easy to understand for his slower copy.

"Definitely!" the brunette exclaimed excitedly, practically bouncing on his feet. Vanitas waved off the other two as Sora's burst of enthusiasm caught their attention, dropping his gaze back to the other after they huffed and turned away again.

"Okay," Vanitas started pointedly, his hands resting on his hips with an 'I'm the boss' sort of posture, "Not sure whether Aqua has a plan or not, so we'll probably have to go see her about this firs-,"

"Guys!" the shout cut him off, his eyes growing wide as they snapped towards the one that called out, spying Roxas darting across the sand, "I need your help!" he panted, still yelling as he came to a stop and climbed the wooden plank wall to where the twins were standing.

"Roxas, what's wrong?" Sora asked urgently as the blonde climbed to his feet and reached out for his counterpart, the scene still seeming completely bizarre even after all this time. _It was almost like Ventus and Vanitas._

"Sarafina! She's been taken!" Vanitas cut his thoughts short, burning the edges when he processed the sentence.

"What?!" he snapped, abruptly reaching out and grabbing the blonde by his jacket collar, dragging him close with a scowl on his face while Sora was still holding onto him, the brunette reaching out to grip _him_ in return to try and pry his hands from the fabric.

"What's the matter with her? Is she okay?!" the resident girl of the island spoke up, the ravenette having not realized that the other two had instantly joined them after he'd freaked out on Roxas, Kairi looking worried while Riku looked downright pissed.

"A guy in an Organization jacket stole her! I didn't recognize him!" the blonde rushed out, finally managing to get out of his hold and speak to _all_ of them, "He said to meet at the Keyblade Graveyard," the world name coming to mind, his brain blanked, his expression becoming flat as memories involuntarily began popping up in his head.

"Shit," he cursed softly, his hands lifting to his face and roughly rubbing his skin before harshly dragging through his hair. Just the thought of it all made his stomach churn with shame and guilt, regret bringing tension to his already tense muscles.

"What? You know what's going on?" Riku's tone was almost accusatory, as if he'd thought or assumed that Vanitas had a hand in it all, the pissed expression having gotten that much deeper.

"No, I don't," he snapped back in a growl, scowling at the silverette, "But I know where that is," they'd only mentioned it a few times to the others, he, Ventus, Terra and Aqua having never explained enough for them to have a real image of that hellish place. It was in the past and they'd agreed to keep it to themselves.

"Vanitas?" Kairi spoke up, her worry having grown, she genuinely looked scared for everyone due to the situation. He hated this. The mention of the place, the memories. He didn't want any of it to come back. It was all in the _past!_ They'd all promised to keep it there. But with Sarafina there… there wasn't much that could be done about his past shames.

"Remember when we told you about the fight Ven and I had to create the X-blade? That our souls were all messed up after it?" he saw the few nods, Vanitas being aware that they'd gotten the vague explanation to it, "It took place in the Graveyard," glancing between them, he saw the stages of surprise and shock cross their faces.

"What're we going to do?" Sora spoke up first, his brow creased with fear. He knew enough about the ravenette to know that if he seemed affected then it was a big deal, he'd give his copy that. He had a good judge of empathy.

"Save her!" Riku snapped, adrenaline appearing to have already start thrumming through the taller boys veins. He seemed ready to burst into the Graveyards' world to get the fight over with. _Idiot._

"Not just us. We need the others," Vanitas forced himself to stay calm as he spoke, jaw clenching and nerves flexing under his skin. He was just as worried, for more than just his and Ventus' minds' sake.


	10. Chapter 10

Feeling herself finally stir, Sarafina quietly groaned, gradually taking check of her situation. She was hung by her midsection, rope or something akin to it wrapped around her upper arms and chest and back, the end being tied to something above her. _Hence the hung feeling._

Her stomach was aching, throbbing with a dull after-pain from where she'd been struck. Her head had a mild throb as well, her being unsure of where that came from. She was disoriented, mind and eyes glazed with a lack of focus.

"She's awake," she heard from a few feet ahead, the same voice as the cloaked stranger she'd met. It was distinct enough for her to find it familiar, the slight crackle unique to the tone. She prided herself on a lot, her ability to remember a person by the voice being one of them.

"Thank you, Valon," _so that's his name._ Sarafina gradually lifted her gaze, finding it awkward in her current position. She stared ahead, eyes landing on the same hooded figure from the mansion, but this time… she could see the bright blue from beneath the hood, vibrant in the black of the coat. His stare was flat, empty and almost completely cold, "Feeling well-rested, my dear?"

Swiftly directing her sharpening eyes towards the other voice, the lilac-haired girls' stare lifted to a much broader and taller man, the black coats seeming to be a trademark for these two as well as the Organization.

"No," she stubbornly replied, her expression twisting into a glare that she sent towards the two of them. She received a sort of forced cackle from the bigger man, the smaller one seeming as disinterested as ever as he looked between them and shook his head.

"Petulancy will get you nowhere, child," the bigger stranger chuckled, Sarafina's concentration fixating on him as he started meandering towards her, lowering just slightly to be eye to eye with her, "Tell me, has the worlds amused you thus far?" she glared at that, the man seemingly aware of the fact that she'd been to so many places. _If that hadn't already been established by the fact that the other cloaked stranger knew that she was a Keybearer._

"I'm not answering to anything you have to say!" she snapped defensively, her glare becoming a scowl as deep as her feelings. She didn't like this. They knew her, contrary to her knowing them. They had an advantage. _Knowledge._ She growled softly as a finger was suddenly hooked beneath her chin, lifting her head just slightly and mildly straining her neck in her currently awkward position.

"Not even to questions regarding you being the Original creator of the Heartless?" the man toyed with her, Sarafina's mind quickly blanking with shock upon processing the sentence. Her heart swiftly started racing in her chest, the pounding being heard in her skull and being felt within her muscles. They knew _too_ much for coincidence's sake.

"How do you…" she stuttered softly, her voice having lost its dangerous edge as questions started filtering through her skull, her Heartless, the faces, the pain, the pain that she'd been forced to-. _Forced!_ "No! You can't be!" she breathed, her voice so quiet. It couldn't be-.

The man then lifted his gloved hands to his hood, slipping it off to reveal the hauntingly familiar face, "Hello again, my dear," she internally shook upon seeing the memorable off grey hair fall along the side of his slightly scarred face, a long bang falling over his blinded eye while the rest spiked above and down the back of his head, leading into a tightly place tie/ponytail.

"Xander," she whispered, eyes wide with shock and growing fear of the man. Sara thought that she'd gotten away from this monster. She thought she'd freed herself from his tyranny and torture.

"Come now. Surely we're still close enough for you to use my rightful 'title'?" he taunted, playing the with her as he had many years ago. He tilted his head innocently, her heart hammering against her ribcage with the blood in her skull pumping so loud that she could barely hear herself think.

"Go to Hell!" she snapped, screaming in his face and struggling against her restraints to the point that she swayed where she hung. She watched with a far more alert sharpness to her mind and eyes as the horrid man climbed to his feet and turned away, pacing a few steps in the opposite direction.

"Been there, survived," Xander shrugged boredly, turning on the spot to face her once more, a devilish smirk on his lips as his gaze fell to her, a dangerous glint just then being seen, "Now, about your Heartless…" _her Heartless. Her creatures. Her friends during her lonely period._

"It's because of you that the Heartless are the way they are!" she snapped again, kicking and fighting to get out of her bounds. The rage built fast within her, Sarafina wanting nothing more than to return the monster to the hell he'd claimed to survive.

"As I recall, you allowed my intervention," as _she_ recalled, he wouldn't have had it any other way. She remembered the punishment for her arguments, her disobedience. Both of which were to protect herself and her creatures from this mans' cruel torture and torment. But then-, Sarafina's eyes flickered towards the other hooded young man.

"Is that what _he_ is? You're new toy to manipulate?!" she countered, swaying slightly as she nodded towards the boy, his bright eyes shifting under the shroud towards Xander, the look of disinterest ever-present with his slow movements. It was almost unnatural how relaxed he appeared.

"Hardly," the grey-haired man chuckled softly, reaching out and patting the boy on the shoulder, the bright blues of the boy lowering to the hand, almost appearing offended by the contact, "He isn't mine. I'm simply lending him for a bit," _lending?_ There was another party involved then, not simply this demon of a man. The boy belonged to the other hand of whatever this operation of theirs was.


	11. Chapter 11

"You don't think it could be _him_, do you?" Vanitas hummed in question as he glanced to his side, Ventus stepping closer while eyeing the innards of the dark portal with an uneasy air about him, "Xander," he clarified for the ravenette. Without prompting, he lifted a hand and let it round the blonde, hoping that he'd calm down a little if he gave him some comfort. _He knew that he didn't like the darkness._

"I didn't think of that," he muttered in general, the question actually holding weight as he gradually worked it out in his head. It made sense seeing as Sarafina had been the target and no one else had targeted her specifically over the years they'd known each other. This was a targeted sort of situation.

"What're you two talking about? Who's Xander?" glancing over his shoulder, he was met with Terra's questioning frown, the man now entirely interested in the short conversation the two had just shared. Aqua appeared to be listening as well, along with the rest of the group, though they didn't make it all that obvious.

"We've known Sarafina a lot longer than we've claimed," Vanitas confessed, feeling as though a slight weight had been lifted from his shoulders as they all continued through the darkness, Ven still pressed against his side.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora spoke up from behind the silverette, poking his head around the much taller and agitated looking boy. He knew that the brunette wasn't all that smart, but even for him, that question was a stupid one. He said exactly what he'd meant.

"We're here," Axel spoke from way ahead of them, the man having seemed intent on getting the job done as fast as they could, the reasoning being beyond him as he hadn't cared to explain why he wanted to get this over with. And true to his words, he could see the slight tear in the path ahead of the flame user.

"I want an explanation once this is over with," the tall, manly brunette of the group requested pretty firly as he stepped ahead of both him and Ventus, the two giving him a nod in unison. He'd hate to see him pissed off again, especially if he avoided giving him that explanation. _He knew for a fact that Terra wouldn't hurt Ventus verbally, let alone physically, but Vanitas? That was another story. The situation was practically re-enactment of Terra being the older brother and Vanitas being the jock that dated his little, innocent sister... That, or Terra was the father with a shotgun._

"C'mon, we've got a friend to save," Roxas finally spoke up while patting the bigger brunette on the shoulder on the way past him, taking the attention away from the two halves of a soul as he caught up to the redhead at the very head of the group.

"And Riku's girlfriend," said redhead teased drily, the situation not really calling for it, but it was obvious that he was trying to lighten the mood at least a little.

"Shut up, you pyro," the silverette retorted snappishly, his tone at a normal volume, but the heat from the counter was hot, the boys' mind clearly focused on something else. _Not the time for fun_ was strong with this one, to the point that he could feel the heavy weight of his need to get their friend back. _And don't think that Vanitas didn't see that very faint tint dusting his cheeks, disappearing as soon as it coloured his face._

"We'll search in two's," the self-proclaimed leader of them spoke up, Terra taking the wheel as soon as the group filed out of the dark portal, "Aqua and I, Roxas and Axel, Vanitas and Ventus, and Sora and Riku," that made it all a lot easier. It gave him the impression that the master had been strategizing ever since they entered the portal, or maybe even before that. The guy always thought ahead, that was for sure.

"Aye aye, Cap'n," Sora mock soluted, Vanitas scoffing softly while a smirk spread across his lips, immediately letting his mind wander to that weird show they'd forced him to watch.

"I can't hear yoooooooou~," the ravenette sang quietly, noting the grin that spread across his brunette copy's face. He looked as if he were about to reply, but the disgruntled growl from the silverette stopped him.

"You two, shut up," Riku cut their fun short, glaring between them, "This isn't the time for a SpongeBob reference," but did they have the time to address the fact that the stoic, badass, _cool-looking_ guy knew exactly what they were talking about? That show was stupidly kiddy and yet he _knew_ when he'd made a point to portray that he had no idea what it was whenever they brought it up.

"What makes you think splitting up would help?" Sora then commented, his tone a tad tighter than before due to Riku's snap at them. He seemed to have his head in the game after it. _Though in all honesty, Vanitas had to do the same, the situation was serious._

"We'll cover more ground and there being two people, you'll have each other to watch your back," Aqua explained, clarifying Terra's reason behind the plan. He could see why he'd choose to split them all up, and not only had he given them the advantage of spreading out, he'd paired them with their strengths, the person that made them a formidable fighter and a better person. _Their other halves', if you will._

Besides Sora and Roxas, anyway. Roxas made Axel a better person and fighter and Sora did the same for Riku, or was that last one the other way around?

"Let's go," perking up just slightly and quirking a brow, he definitely saw some of Terra in the silverette. Those training sessions must have been really paying off if Riku started taking the lead alongside the older brunette.

He watched as the group gradually started to disperse, Vanitas feeling a light tug on his arm and glancing around to see Ventus directing him away much like the others. Without a word, he followed, mock saluting the rest of the group as they started splitting up and taking their own path.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Vanitas - Ventus_**

Having been walking for a while after leaving the rest of the group to the separation strategy, Vanitas found himself walking along a familiar path, remember a few that he'd taken that all narrowed into one, the one that led to that spot he and Ventus had fought. The issue was, he couldn't feel anything there as he let his essence spread throughout his birth-world. He had ties to it, created from Ventus, but linked by the power Xehanort harnessed from the blades that surrounded the graveyard. He was linked, connected and born from its overpoweringly grim existence.

Being that intune to it, he could feel and sense it, where everyone was, what didn't feel right, what felt like the norm. Despite his reluctance in wanting to be there, he was still there and hated the cold shudder the essence of the world gave him. _It felt like an abusive parent wanting nothing to do with him after so many years._

He was about ready for it to come to life and spit at him before kicking him out with harsh words. It was being difficult, hiding what he wanted so that he couldn't sense each and every soul.

Still, despite the world fighting him, he could still feel a few things that felt abnormal that weren't there before, people or not._ There were two very faint ones, too heavy in darkness to not feel them. They felt almost as dark as himself._

"Vanitas?" humming in question, the ravenette came to a stop, turning to blink at the blonde. He seemed slightly off, halting only a step or two ahead of him to return the stare, but with far more feeling and concern. There seemed to be a silent question in his own eyes, watching the darker soul expectantly, or at least asking him for any leads as though he picked up on something. _If so, he was just that good at reading him._

"I'm not sure if it's her, but there's something odd," he answered the silence his lighter half gave him. It was something that didn't belong, that feeling. It hadn't felt natural to the planes they walked on, as if they were out of place and that drew enough attention to make him question it.

"Think it's worth checking?" the blonde asked immediately after, closing the distance between them rather abruptly to lean in with a very hopeful glint in his blue eyes. The worry was still there, easy to see, but there was a strong positive optimism burning in the sea of blue gazing back into his glowing gold.

"I don't know, but it's not like we have any other leads, right?" Vanitas replied with a very, _very_ fine crack to his tone, having not actually expected the other to get up in his face with what he could only describe as growing confidence.

And it was _definitely_ confidence, he decided, just as the slightly shorter of them only got closer and sealed their lips together. It drew a surprised squeak from the darker soul, his eyes growing a little wider from the forwardness. Ven hadn't ever initiated before.

Attempting to ignore the mild disappointment in the fact that his lighter half pulled away, he watched as he smiled at him, stare lingering before he started walking, Vanitas sighing softly and internally kicking himself to get his concentration back. He quickly jogged up to his side, gradually redirecting them along the path to head towards the oddities he could still feel.

* * *

**_Terra - Aqua_**

He didn't like this, not that he assumed anyone would. The situation was dire and dangerous and they had no way of knowing where Sarafina had actually been brought to this world in particular, regardless of what Roxas had informed them of what that cloaked boy had said. Despite him saying 'To the Graveyard', that didn't necessarily mean that he was telling the truth. This could have actually been a trap that they'd walked right into.

"What do you think they're hiding from us?" and if it were a trap, he'd separated them and made them easy targets for an ambush. Ha had just doomed their friend? "Terra," blinking from his thoughts, he turned his gaze to his bluenette friend and teammate, the woman seemingly concerned for _him_ rather than the situation.

"What?" he'd asked after a long, lingering moment of silence, having registered that she'd asked him a question only a moment before. Had he really been that stuck in his own mind?

"Ventus and Vanitas. What d'you think they're hiding?" she repeated, Terra's mind barely catching up as he gradually recalled the talk from within the dark portal, something that the shared souls had said that had caught their attention, someone named Xander, "Are you okay? You seem distracted," she commented distantly, as if speaking to herself as her hand rose to her face, gently brushing her chin in thought as she regarded him, "Frustrated," she settled on, pegging him immediately without much effort. _She'd hit the nail on the head..._

"I haven't seen Zack in a while. We were planning to hang out together over Christmas," he informed without much prompting, seeing no point in restraining himself and keeping it quiet. He'd been planning to celebrate Christmas in Midgar with him for a while, it just hadn't come up in conversation.

"You and Zack? Alone?" Aqua winked suggestively, the brunette quirking a brow at her, "Have something you want to tell me, Terra?" did she... not know? He blinked blankly at her, tilting his head in question almost like his boyfriend did whenever he was confused. _He felt as if the puppy's traits were rubbing off on him sometimes._

"Me and Zack are together," he replied bluntly, watching her abruptly pause and stare at him, posture loose and lost while her blue eyes bore through him, "What? I thought you knew," he added, arms casually crossing over his chest.

"Noooo, I didn't," she waved him off, her head shaking along with her gesture, "Seriously?" she then asked, still dubious apparently. It wasn't a secret. Ventus knew, and Vanitas. Riku had figured it out pretty much immediately, only being oblivious when it came to his _own_ love life.

"Yeah. I'm just angry our plans are being cut short and that Sarafina's been kidnapped," he shrugged, feeling a little lighter now that he'd actually had a little chat to explain and get it out of his system, "This years' Christmas is turning out to be a bad one," he sighed softly, running his fingers through his hair. He hadn't even had a chance to contact Zack and give him an update.

"Since when did you like men?" cutting his thoughts short, his eyes returned to her, mind empty for a long moment after that question. Because really?

"Are you really focusing on that?" he voiced his thoughts, sighing again but with a tad more deadpanned exasperation. Trust her to concentrate on the not so important stuff during the current situation.

"Sorry," she smiled warily, "Just surprising," she waved him off again, the two continuing along an unpaved path that they seemingly followed, glancing this way and that.

"I don't like men. I like Zack," he replied after a very long moment of silence, clarifying his feelings in his defence.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Axel - Roxas_**

"Can Nobodies have a family?" at that, Axel blinked rapidly, pretty lost on whatever went through the blondes head for him to even ask that. He glanced towards him, stride never slowing despite that out-of-nowhere question.

"What brought that on?" he counter-questioned, pocketing his hands while taking glances at the other Nobody. He seemed somewhat distant when he returned the looks, still in thought, more than likely.

"You and Reno," the Turk? Axel slowed just slightly, tilting his head to the side with some curiosity buzzing through his mind, "I met him the other day. He was looking for you and said something about being related," Reno had shown up? He'd only met him a handful of times before and they weren't exactly on good terms at the time.

"Ah, I get you," he replied slowly, a hand reaching to the back of his neck to anxiously rub at his skin, "Yeah, we're brothers. Or the 'Lea' me was," he shrugged. He said that, but it was hard to process even after all this time. They'd been separated, according to the other redhead, their parents having split and Axel had been an infant at the time. _Or that was what Reno had told him._

"He seems to think that even if you're a Nobody, you're still brothers," of course he would. To anyone unaware of the beings, they were pretty human at first glance. But then... Reno put in a lot of effort to find out what he was after telling him, _or letting it slip more like._

"He would," Axel shrugged, surprising himself with the fond warmth easing its way into his tone. He shrugged the thought off, hand returning to his pocket as they continued on. The man felt a little off that the other redhead would look him up, even going as far as to show up at the various places Axel usually hung out. Was he meant to have mixed feelings about it? Anxiety and comfort in the fact that his Somebody's _brother_ would go as far as to look for him?

"Just because you're not Lea, it doesn't mean you're not Lea," again, his mind went blank, Axel turning a deadpanned stare at the blonde walking alongside him, a proud smile on his face as if he hadn't just mind-fucked the taller mans' brain with his illogical logic.

"That made little to no sense," he voiced his thoughts, his tone flat and obvious in his confusion. In truth, Roxas could be extremely smart more often than not, but that sentence had gone right over Axel's head. On rare occasions, he had to really put the effort into thinking out what the other meant because it seemed that those rare moments, it only made sense to Roxas, leaving everyone else bewildered.

"What I mean, is even if you're not the you from before, you're still you," _aaaah,_ Axel nodded slowly, the lost expression slowly ebbing away and being replaced with a thoughtful one, "There's no changing who you are, no matter how hard you try," so Roxas' brain-to-mouth filter just malfunctioned during that first sentence then.

"Very profound, Roxas," he let a smile grace his lips, small and soft, something only a very few would notice depending on how well accustomed to him they were. He saw the pride in the blonde grow, his lips stretching into a grin.

"Once we save Sarafina, go meet up with him," the pride had gone to his head along with Axel's praise. There was no way he could do that. He was pretty much a wanted man in Midgar after the shit he'd pulled on the Turks.

"Not so profound," he retorted immediately, shaking his head and even waving his arms in a 'no way' gesture. He'd sooner be held captive by the group and end up being interrogated, regardless of whether or not his _brother_ would want that, "But," he paused, rubbing his thumb and finger together as he considered some sort of secret meet-up, "I'll try," he cleared his throat, ignoring the beaming smile directed his way.

**_Sora - Riku_**

"This place is really creepy," the brunette muttered softly, his skin itching with the nervous atmosphere the graveyard brought to light. It almost felt as if it were drawing on them, pulling and tugging at their powers without actually trying to eat that very power. _Directing them, leading them,_ he supplied for himself.

"It's a wonder how the masters' even navigated this place," the taller of the two commented distractedly, Sora letting his gaze lift to the stern expression marring his best friends' features. Even with the hard and tight look on his face, he could see the concern eating at him, the tension scratching at his muscles and building in strength. It wasn't hard to figure out why.

"Ventus said something about being connected to the place, or at least Vanitas was," he started as a way to try and comfort him, hoping that mentioning his lookalike wouldn't worsen the mood at all, "He can track whatever's in the world," it made _Sora_ feel reassured at least. He knew for a fact that the two adored Sarafina, so they'd try their hardest and it was all the better that one of them was the human personification of a bloodhound for this particular world.

"So he's a walking-talking compass for the Graveyard," the silverette summarized bluntly, not seeming to take comfort in the fact. Or he was simply too distracted to think about anything else at that moment, _which wouldn't be all that surprising._

"It's a good thing he's here. If anyone has a chance at finding her here, it'd be him," Sora shrugged, hoping that that was the right thing to say, and thankfully, the crease in the other boys' features eased up, the brunette breathing a very quiet sigh of relief at seeing the softer expression on his friends' face.

"What d'you think of her?" Sora hummed in question, having not expected it and was mildly uncertain of what he was referring to. He tilted his head and blinked at him, seeing the crease gradually return, but due to exasperation this time, "Sarafina," Riku clarified, his tone tighter and forced, a soft growl edging the name. _Almost like he was hesitant but wanted to make him understand._

"She's awesome. Pretty, talented and really fun," he immediately beamed, lifting the traits and counting with his fingers, not really thinking anything of the reason he'd asked about her, "She's amazing when it comes to cooking too," he chuckled, recalling the many dishes she made for him and a few others.

"Trust you to focus on food," the silverette muttered with a scoff, Sora humming again and sending him a confused stare. _He_ was the one that asked, the brunette was simply answering a question. Geez, what did he want from him...

* * *

Keep an eye out on my page for "Fierce Flames". The talk about Reno between Axel and Roxas is a reference to that story. It's a minor Origin story for Reno and a relationship-building story between brothers. [It's definitely not that straightforward though]


	14. Chapter 14

He was worried, _really_ worried. Ven knew for a fact that he didn't have the same sort of connection to the Graveyard that Vanitas did, the senses linked with the air, the ground, every rock and every mountain. And yet he had started feeling something, something not at all comforting. The Graveyard felt lively with voidance, a voidance much like the heartless creatures that they'd been introduced to a few years prior, or maybe a nobody. Beings without essence and created from darkness. He could feel something empty, something missing, but not from the world itself. Missing from whatever was there on the world.

They were still following whatever path Vanitas had picked up, the two practically power walking along with no real idea of where they were on the world. Ven had never travelled this way when he'd visited the place all those years ago.

"Guys!" jumping slightly, the blonde snapped his head around as the shared souls paused in their stride. His concern ebbed some, his bright blue gaze falling on four of their comrades as they jogged towards the two. Roxas, Axel, Riku and Sora were quickly making their way over.

"I'm guessin' that you didn't find anything?" Vanitas asked with his usual attitude, Ventus subtly shaking his head at his almost rude but default-setting kind of sentence. Glancing towards the others, he could see the irritated twitch in Riku's features, the silverette still seemingly finding it hard to hang around with the problem-child of the older Keyblade Masters.

"No, but there's definitely something wrong," Roxas answered, appearing to save Riku from saying something that was most likely a bad thing to spout, judging from the expression and the fact that he was still almost glaring at Ven's darker half.

"You can feel it too?" Vanitas replied to the other blonde, Ven focusing on the conversation once again just in time to watch the former Organization members nod in affirmation, the two sharing a look for a moment before returning their gazes to them.

"Both of us felt it around the same time, like a portal was opened," Axel explained with a shrug, his arms being crossed over his chest. It couldn't be a coincidence, the exact same feeling having been sensed, and not only that-,

"Isn't that what you said?" Ven turned to his darker half, noting the frown that had spread across the others' face. A knowing look mixed with it as he stared at the ground. The Keybearer could see the thought gravitating in his head, seeping through his skin and creasing his brow further.

"Empty," he then muttered more to himself than to any of the others. The blonde watched him closely, his own brow furrowing slightly in question. It looked as though he were onto something, his thought process taking him somewhere he knew. Truth be told, he found it endearing whenever the other soul tried thinking hard enough to have that kind of expression.

"What?" Sora asked after a moment, Ven noting that all eyes were on the distracted ravenette. Vanitas lifted his gaze, glancing between each of them as if only then realizing that he had everyone's attention.

"It feels like a void," he explained, his tone sounding somewhat reluctant and dubious, even to his own words and realization, "That's what it was. The feeling of a portal, it _was_ a portal, just not one of yours or even one of mine," the darker soul shrugged after having gestured to the Nobodies and then himself.

"Huh?" Sora tilted his head, still appearing to have no idea what his lookalike was talking about. In truth, Ven was somewhat behind on trying to understand as well. He'd never heard of a void before, besides the actual _void_ of nothingness, the description of a void, bare of everything and anything.

"Remember that guy that took Sarafina?" Ven flickered his gaze towards his own lookalike, the attention having shifted to the other, "I didn't say anything before but there was something wrong with him, he felt completely empty. Emptier than a Nobody," that sounded incredibly ominous, "He has to be a Void, right?" Ven crossed his arms loosely, his eyes returning to Vanitas.

"Something like a Nobody, but created from the shell of a Strong Heart," the darker soul muttered, distracted and talking to himself again before lifting his golden irises to the rest of them, "Imagine a heart, now imagine the outer casing of a heart being peeled away and given its own body," that was vivid and disturbing. _He must have been an experiment, right? How could a hearts shell be removed?_

"That sounds like some Frankenstein stuff," Riku grumbled out loud, Ven internally agreeing with the statement without hesitation. Glancing towards Vanitas, he could see the gloom sitting behind his bright eyes, the almost _understanding_ and _knowing_ atmosphere surrounding him. _Did he feel as though he related to the other guy? The Void?_

"They were dangerous. They didn't feel. They were basically living weapons," the tone, Ven had hit the nail on the head; he felt as though he could relate, "They could be taught though. They were self-aware and could be raised, trained. They're sort of like a child, I guess, but lack empathy and that appealing child-like happiness," _it didn't sound as if it appealed to Vanitas when he'd said it…_

"How d'you know all this?" Riku finally asked, far less irritated with the darker soul and seemingly more interested in what he had to say than being agitated by him.

"Xehanort," Vanitas growled softly, the name having been gritted out through a clenched jaw, "He was researching this stuff. Told me about it during one of his distracted mutterings," clearly, just the thought of the man still got under the ravenettes' skin. Though that didn't surprise Ven in the least, "He didn't actually say it all _to me,_ but I was there and just listening. Sounded interesting," he added, sort of babbling.

"So what do we do? How do we fight a Void?" Axel asked as he took a step in the direction that he and Vanitas had been going, the group starting to make their way along the invisible path, the ravenette taking lead as he picked up on whatever he had originally been feeling.

"We won't be able to fight him until we figure out where the Heart is. There are only two ways to take him down, that _I'm_ aware of anyway," the darker soul sighed, the distant glint in his eye giving away that he was swapping between deep thought and informing, "Find the heart that the shell came from and lock it, the shell should return. Or, if there's no heart… then we have to crack the shell," Ven frowned at the way his tone had sounded towards the end, picking up the pace to be at the others side.

"That would kill him, wouldn't it," the blonde asked hesitantly, his own voice sounding halfway forced. He didn't like the thought or the fact that if they couldn't find the heart, they wouldn't be able to fight him. He hadn't seen him, he only knew what Roxas had described and that wasn't much.

"Yeah," Vanitas confirmed, his stride slowing with Ventus walking just slightly ahead without noticing, "And I'm pretty sure that none of you want a death on your hands, human or not," the ravenette grumbled. They knew for a fact that none of them would even consider it, they were far from being murderers.

With a soft sigh through his nose, the blonde let his gaze lift from the path as a ledge got closer and closer, Ventus being about to turn the corner just near the very edge… But then he slowed down, eyes gradually widening as the air slowly left his lungs, heart beginning to hammer in his chest.

"First things first, we locate Sarafina," the silverette spoke up from behind them, Ventus swallowing harshly and thickly.

"Think I found her," he croaked quietly, consecutive hums in question being heard from behind him. Ven slowly lifted his arm, a finger being pointed over the ledge towards the centre of a mass gathering of black, smoky, twitching creatures. A sea of what looked like Heartless, spread a mile around a small circle, two black coats, one smaller than the other, standing in the centre around _Sarafina._

"Holy shit," Vanitas uttered sharply after a while of silence, shock appearing to have silenced the entire group up until then. It was crazy, all of the Heartless, or what he thought _could be_ Heartless. He wasn't sure. It felt like they were, but then there was that same feeling of emptiness that had been explained to them.

"You can say that again," Riku breathed out, voice sounding forced, Ven noting that his focus was centred at the centre of the sea of shifting creatures, to where Sara was sat with the two others.

"Holy shit?" with a somewhat deadpanned stare, Ven turned his gaze to Vanitas, blinking blankly at him with a sigh.

"I was kidding!" Riku then growled before the blonde could say anything to shut them up.

"Well don't say 'you can say that again', genius," Vanitas argued childishly, arms crossing tightly over his chest. This was getting them nowhere. They needed to leave already or at least wait for Terra and Aqua.

"Guys, not the time!" he snapped abruptly, just as Roxas did, the two sounding almost radio-like.


	15. Chapter 15

"So, my child. Have you had fun playing _friends_ with those Keybearers?" she growled under her breath as the man gradually circled her, almost feeling as if she were prey to the predator. His tone held no interest, only boredom, an emotion she saw plastered to the feigned smile gracing that horrid mouth.

"I wasn't playing! We _are_ friends!" Sarafina snapped, her tone a deep rumble as her anger steadily built under her skin, itching beneath it to be let out and vented towards the black-coated figures.

"Please, spare me," Xander scoffed obnoxiously, Sara carefully following him as he continued rounding her like a vulture to a dying Zebra, "Friends? Someone like you could never have a real friendship, let alone a relationship. You have as much of a chance as _this_ mindless puppet," he gestured outlandishly towards the other coated boy, the girl briefly catching the way his bright blue eyes snapped to the other man from under his hood before looking away with disinterest.

"That's not for you to decide!" she argued instead, shrugging off the boys' reaction. Anyone would be insulted when being called that, even Vanitas. He'd reacted much worse. This one was way tamer compared. No less dangerous, she'd bet, if her father had gotten ahold of him.

"As your father, I think it is," the man growled softly, still seemingly bored but with his smile having become a smirk. That boredom was making way for a taunting and teasing facade, something dark and twisted that sent fine shudders through her core.

"You'll never be my father!" Sara snapped loudly, lurching forward towards him while still bound on the spot, anger seething in her veins and heating her already enraged view of the monster of a man.

"And what did I do to deserve such hatred, my dear daughter?" Xander asked rhetorically, the lilac-haired girl getting angrier and angrier by the second. She couldn't deal with him, or this. She hated him with so much of herself and couldn't fathom how she hadn't broken the restraints yet with how much strength she had pressing against the bindings.

"You're seriously asking that?! After what YOU did?!" she shouted, forcing more pressure against the restraints. She didn't notice that they had a slight glow.

* * *

Having been gradually and carefully making their way closer to their targets, Vanitas and the rest found themselves on the very outskirts of the creatures circling the three, just close enough, but to the point that they could be heard. The dark soul knew enough about Unversed and Heartless to know that even though they were mindless for the most part, it didn't change the fact that they had senses, hearing being one of them.

"We're close enough for now," his blonde counterpart mentioned in a whisper as they hid themselves behind a few large randomly placed rocks, tall and wide enough to cover them and obscure them. Luckily, they were only a few feet away from the lagging creatures, the ones hanging around at the ends of the circle, and having been perfectly quiet, they hadn't drawn any attention.

"Vanitas, it's him," Ven continued, inching closer to get a better look around his side of the stone, leaning into him on the very edge so that he had some leverage. He wasn't wrong. That face, that hair, that atmosphere and that angry face Sarafina wore. _Or at least what they could see from their position._ There was no mistaking it though.

"I know," he muttered in return, shifting them back behind the large rocks to face the rest of the group, "We gotta be careful, guys," he directed towards them, noting that while they were listening, one of two of the team were still focused on the sight from the other side of the stones, _Riku_ specifically.

"I'm gonna kick his ass to oblivion!" said silverette hissed behind gritted teeth, quiet enough that he didn't draw attention, but venomous enough that Vanitas wore he was about ready to _definitely_ draw attention. He had this feeling that the guy was ready to jump the rocks and run through the sea of creatures.

"That's the total opposite to what I just said," the ravenette grumbled flatly, giving the taller boy a deadpanned stare before he scooted around to the other guys' side. He looked a little off the closer he got, the concern almost visible on his face, _almost_. There was a sturdy mask of controlled anger barely letting his worry slip through.

"Listen," he called out quietly to him, reaching up and reluctantly letting a hand grab his shoulder. Surprisingly, he wasn't shrugged off, rather he was regarded impassively, "We need a plan, and I don't think running in blindly is a good idea with this guy if the other dude is actually a Void," he shrugged, attempting to give a reassuring squeeze before dropping his hand. He had his attention at least, "You're no help to her if you're thinking about just jumping in to save her," _and by the slight resignation that left his shoulders, THAT had been his thoughtless plan before Vanitas had spoken up._

"Alright," the silverette conceded, Vanitas giving him a pat on the back before turning back to the rest of them, shifting so that he was sitting crossed legged on the group, a few of the others following while Axel and Riku continued looking around the rocks.

"I say we-,"

"Hey," the hushed calls cut him off, Vanitas growling under his breath and glaring towards the female voice that quietly called to them, his golden gaze falling on the two other Keyblade masters that entered their little area, both crouched as they skulked towards them.

"Took you two long enough," he hissed deeply, done with being interrupted and very mildly took it out on the two, getting an exasperated scowl from the brunette that stopped behind Roxas and Sora, Aqua stopping beside him and Riku.

"Where did they all come from?" Terra gestured to the large stones, or what was behind them, all those creatures. He couldn't tell whether they were heartless, unversed or even nobodies after first seeing them. They felt like a sort of mix of the three with something extra. Though considering who the extra guy was, he had a feeling they were experiment creatures.

"From what we can tell, a Void portal," Ven answered in his place, sneaking up to lean against the rock before he pointed around it, "Not only that, look," he gestured to the centre of the circle, among the mass of monsters.

"It's Sarafina," Aqua muttered softly, awareness lacing her tone. She must have seen her along with the creatures like they had before sneaking down to their little hiding spot, "And that cloaked guy that took her," Roxas added swiftly, getting closer to point at the smaller of the cloaked guys.

"And the older guy we mentioned earlier in _his_ portal," Vanitas waved towards Axel in gesture, reminding them of the quiet talk he and Ven had about Xander. He didn't want to face that talk, but he was afraid that he and his lighter half had some real explaining to do now that they confirmed that he was there. They needed to know.

_"You're seriously asking that?! After what YOU did?!"_ the shout caught their attention, the whole group immediately snapping their heads towards the rock. They began rounding it, peeking out to see that Sarafina had snapped at the man who only chuckled.


	16. Chapter 16

"And what, pray tell, did I do, dear daughter?" she burned from his words, heat scorching the underside of her skin as he just seemed _amused_ than anything else, his question frustratingly rhetorical just to rile her further.

"Because of you-," Sarafina growled, scowling so hard that if looks could hurt, her father would have been through the worst kind of torture, "-Mom died... and grampa had to hide me in the realm of darkness! I was FIVE!" she snapped loudly, teeth grinding and throat instantly sore with how roughly the words left her chest, "Five years old and it was to hide from YOU! MY OWN FATHER!" no matter the pain thrumming through her neck, the seething rage ran deeper than any hurt.

"Your mother was a fool for defying me," she was seeing red at his opinion, talking about her mother like she was nothing, "My father, even more of a fool for 'hiding' you-," he gestured with quotation gestures, "-and using a worthless boy to create an obsolete weapon. In the end, the man was left with a broken child and a pathetic excuse for a being of darkness,"

"Don't talk about my mother and friends like that!" Sara shouted, struggling harshly in the restraints and feeling them tighten due to it, but she couldn't have cared less at the moment. No one spoke ill of the ones she held dear! "You're nothing but evil incarnate of what was once human!" the lilac-haired girl spat venomously, scowl growing deeper with her furiousness building.

"You have no grounds to think yourself better, dearest daughter," and the man was calm, which only infuriated her more that he refused to react with anything but a calm, collective response, "If not for you, the Heartless would have never existed,"

She faltered. Without exteriorly reacting or biting back at the comment, her heart skipped, mind unhelpfully supplying old memories and nightmarish experiments of the time, the Heartless and what had happened. How they became they were they were and the hand she and her father had in it. Despite it all, she continued to steel herself from showing her waver, staying strong.

* * *

"Anybody else having trouble processing this?!" Sora spoke up with an incredulous expression, appearing both lost and unable to register the conversation. Vanitas didn't blame him, nor the others that raised their hands to agree with the brunette copy. In all honesty, it didn't surprise him that this was hard for them to take in.

"Wait! Does that mean she's-," the ravenettes' attention snapped to the hand that grabbed his lighter half shoulder, a moment of tension raising since he tended to snap at others for even _thinking_ about touching him.

"Xehanort's granddaughter? Yeah," Ventus replied calmly, not reacting to the hand at all, save for patting it in a way of reassurance or even comfort. He knew for a fact that they were all shock upon realizing _that_ little piece of information. None of them could stand Xehanort, not that he was around anymore.

"When were you planning on telling us?" Terra spoke up, directing his firm and authoritative gaze towards the ravenette like it was his fault that they hadn't known any of this. He'd get him back for that later with a case of his own logic, because it wasn't his doing. It wasn't his choice to tell them, it wasn't his story to explain.

"Truthfully? Never," he replied bluntly and honestly, not giving a care for the look he received from both him _and_ Aqua that he hadn't been planning to _ever_ tell them about her. As he'd decided years prior, it wasn't his right to tell anyone, nor would he. Ven had even been sworn to secrecy by both him and Sarafina.

"I didn't actually know her as well as Vanitas. This was around the time Aqua fell into the dark world," said blonde mentioned, drawing most attention to himself and giving the ravenette a break from the nasty looks he seemed to continue getting from everyone, despite being _a part of the team_ or whatever.

"What happened to her?" Aqua asked with obvious concern, her question pretty much rhetorical and heavily sympathetic, like a mother wanting to console another womans' hurt child. She was really the mother of the group.

"Not my story to tell," Vanitas replied quietly, remembering his time with her and how most of their interactions were spent. She'd been a kid, a bunch of years younger than himself, though that's not taking into account that he was taken only months before from Ventus' heart. _He meant it as Ventus' age, not Vanitas' physical one._

"You can tell them _your_ side of it," Ven motioned towards him, reaching out and giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. He didn't want to, he felt as though explaining it would only complicate things. Too much and a balance could be tipped, they'd treat her differently. But then... maybe it would help them connect further with her. _She'd wanted that from the start, right? A lot of friends, all close to her heart._

"Fine," he grumbled after a moment, hoping that this would lead to the latter, "Around the time I started causin' shit for you guys, Xehanort assigned me to keep an eye on his granddaughter when he wasn't around. She was pretty young and a pain in the ass at the time," he shrugged, recalling the hair pulling and flailing arms for whenever she wanted to leave and he wouldn't allow it, "This was after Xander killed her Mom, by the way," he mentioned grimly, having not seen it himself, but remembered the darkness that filled the old man every time he remembered.

"Probably from being mistreated by him," Axel commented with a frown, his mind seemingly focused on the _pain in the ass_ part of that explanation. It wasn't all that surprising that everyone would think that.

"Actually, you probably wouldn't believe it, but Xehanort wasn't entirely a heartless bastard. He really did love Sarafina," _as astonishing as it sounded,_ the man actually had feelings despite wanting nothing more than a world plunged into chaos, "When Xander came around to take her back, he made me fight him," and he remembered _that_ well. He'd been weak, which had led to Aqua beating him in Radiant Garden, "While I fought him, Xehanort hid her in the realm of Darkness and then beat his ass," which had been a sight to see, "When we thought she was safe from the guy, we went to check the realm to get her back, but she wasn't there,"

"As far as I know, back then, the Heartless were as harmless as those Dream Eater's Sora and Riku have," Ventus spoke up again, Vanitas remembering the conversation where Sara had explained this to them, mentioning that they hadn't been dangerous at all, that they were a similar creature to Vanitas' Unversed until Xander got his hands on them.

"Xander corrupted them, and they're the Heartless you see everywhere nowadays," Vanitas voiced his reminder, running a hand through his chaotic hair. He didn't want to explain anything else, though he had a feeling that there were more questions coming.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hang on, hang on. Heartless were harmless?" the fiery redhead quirked a brow in question, glancing swiftly between Vanitas and Ventus. He seemed dubious of the information, not that it bothered the former at all. As far as the others knew, the Heartless were the enemy; they didn't know anything else about them, "How?" Axel added after a moment, still in disbelief.

"She created them from her own being, from her heart," expectedly, he saw a few eyes flicker towards _him,_ blinking at the ravenette and drawing a heavy sigh from his chest, "Yes, like Vanitas," even Ventus sounded a little exasperated by the fact that they immediately pictured Vanitas and his Unversed.

"Wouldn't _you_ want a friend if you were a five-year-old stuck in a place filled with darkness?" the darker soul muttered pointedly as he lifted his golden gaze to them, eyeing each of them with a firm stare and noting the way two or three actually shrunk slightly from him. _At first, granted, the Unversed were his weapons, his expendable creatures that returned to piece him together after their destruction. After they reluctantly accepted him though… the Unversed were a constant thing in his life. _

_He tended to have a Flood sitting in his lap whenever he was chilling with Ven._

"We need to save her," the silverette commented in the silence, Vanitas letting his gaze fall to him as the other focused around the rock towards Sarafina. He didn't seem the least bit bothered by everything he'd taken in, "I don't care about anything else right now," as he'd thought, Riku wanted nothing more than her safety.

"She's our friend and she needs our help," Sora joined in, his victorious grin already reaching his lips with a fist being held in front of him. His brunette copy was already pumped and ready for battle. Funnily enough, Vanitas had ideas.

"Good, because I have a really good bad plan," he smirked, eyeing the group and noting the confusion growing between them at his word choice.

"Good bad?" Sora replied, smile gone and replaced with a perplexed stare that he shared with the others before it fell back on Vanitas. This was going to be really fun.

* * *

"I hate this plan," Ven heard Sora complain quietly from over his shoulder, the two having wanted to stick close enough that they wouldn't lose each other in the sea of shifting shadow creatures. He'd been worried at first, but upon entering the outer layers of mixed monsters and not being noticed, he figured that Vanitas had actually thought it out pretty well.

"Well, it's working," he shrugged, his hushed tone not catching any attention from the things around them. They simply swayed and made noises that over-lapped their own, actually helping them towards not being noticed.

"We look like idiots!" Sora hissed quietly, Ven agreeing with him on that one. Despite the fact that the plan was working, they looked ridiculous wearing large Shadow costumes made from Vanitas' own abilities. He felt as though he'd planned this for a Halloween or something.

Wading through the mass of dark creatures, they were going unseen and unnoticed since they were wearing Heartless costumes and looked perfectly like one of their own, even having the sort of sway to their bodies because the suits were so awkward to walk in. _Ventus internally huffed with pure exasperation. _Vanitas had a decent plan, but the execution was terrible.

"Don't get distracted, Sora," the blonde mentioned curtly, not wanting to lose to his own opinion of the plan. He agreed with the brunette that they looked imbecilic, "We have a job to do," he lowered his head slightly, trying to ignore it as he shifted between a few creatures and still seemed to go unnoticed as they were all fixated on Xander.

"I take it back, there are _two_ things I don't like about this plan," Sora muttered more to himself, probably thinking about the suits and the fact they were weren't fighting at the moment, or that Terra and Aqua were volunteered to fight Xander if things got out of hand. Ven though…

"Yeah," he sighed, not liking the part that Vanitas had left out, having whispered to Ven that he would take on the Void if the boy decided to join in and fight them. He knew for a fact that if Vanitas wanted to fight something alone, there would be guaranteed injuries for anyone involved with that fight. _Vanitas was protecting them from the boy._

"Trust Vanitas to come up with a plan like this. I bet he's just messing with us," Sora complained further, drawing a soft and somewhat strained chuckle from the blonde Key-master.

* * *

Without warning, Vanitas sucked in a raspy breath and sneezed violently, head being thrown forward where he sat cross-legged against the large rock. He'd shocked the others, his lids parting as he reached the back of his hand to his nose.

"Think those idiots are talkin' about me," he muttered with a deep sniff, rubbing at the base of his nose with his sleeve. He glanced up to the others, noting the surprised stares he received from the sneeze.

"How d'you know?" Roxas asked uncertainly, quirking a brow at him and seeming a tad thrown off along with everyone else. It wasn't as if Vanitas got ill or could even get sick. He was immune to pretty much everything.

"A strong hunch," he sniffed again, giving his nose one last rub before he climbed to his feet and shifted towards the edge of the rock to watch the two. It took him a long moment to find them, but he did, seeing the slightly misshapen Shadows slowly inching their way towards the centre of the black and blue sea of creatures.

"Be ready for the signal," Terra mentioned from a few feet behind him, Vanitas letting a smirk grace his lips while trying to fend off another sneeze, less violent than before it seemed as it tickled the back of his nose.

"You mean to be ready to see the two jumping around, swinging their Keyblades and acting like idiots?" the ravenette replied sarcastically, fully expecting that to actually happen since Sora wasn't exactly the stealthiest of them. _He really should have made Roxas go with Ven,_ "Yeah, I'm ready. Got my camera and everything," he grinned, lifting his hand and materializing a black camera out of his darkness.

That immediately drew an exasperated growl from the brunette man, the master reaching a hand to his face to pinch the bridge of his nose with a deep sigh.


	18. Chapter 18

Being about to snap back at what her father had muttered about grampa Xehanort, Sarafina's attention was suddenly drawn to a specific area within the mass gathering of creatures, eyes growing wide with a brow rising high on her forehead, expression twisting into pure confusion as two of the shadows seemed to _prance_ and flail, making odd sounds that gained everyone's focus, the rest of the creatures included.

There was something familiar about the sounds though, the voices they had sounding unlike any Heartless, Nobody or Unversed she'd heard in her lifetime. Falling into a moment of thought, it took her far too long to realize _why_ they were distinct and caught her attention more than the odd dancing and flapping, and truthfully, if she weren't restrained, she'd have face-palmed so hard she'd have broken her own nose.

Lifting her gaze to her father, noting the highly disgruntled and irked stare he gave the two along with the boys' passive one, she watched as the man took a step away towards the creatures, seemingly unaware of what Sarafina had realized. Worry and anxiety sparking in her mind, she'd been about to call out to draw him back, feeling something warm clamp around her mouth before she could, unable to make a sound but not stopping her instant struggle.

"Sarafina," the quiet whisper stopped her writhing, the voice catching her off guard. Her gaze widening, Sara turned her head to stare over her shoulder, heart skipping as she saw Riku crouched close, dressed in the same ridiculous suit that the two idiots were wearing but with his face somewhat uncovered by the mouth of the Shadow costume. She then noticed the other behind him, hidden well within the front row of creatures and wearing the same silly suits. _She gave them a flat stare, deadpanned by what she assumed was a plan created by the most mischievous of the group._

_Looking close enough, she could see the golden eyes trickster standing between a few monsters, smirking at what he probably deemed the best plan ever…_

No words being shared between them, Sarafina returned her gaze back to her father and the boy while the silverette untied her bindings, watching as the man seemed to be lead further into the rows of Shadows, her kidnapper seemingly _amused_ if that very fine smirk meant anything. She was afraid that he'd caught on and simply hadn't said anything, if so, she had no idea what he was thinking or whether she should risk drawing attention to herself by talking to him. _He'd kidnapped her for her father after all and he'd even gone as far as to allow the man to treat him as if he were nothing but a toy to be broken._

The moment she felt the restraints loosen and fall from her, she silently discarded them, crouching along with Riku back towards where the group were camouflaged among the mixed creatures, Sarafina being startled by the black smoke that surrounded her as she entered the rows of Shadows, a suit immediately hiding her along with the others.

"Nice work," Terra praised quietly as they all disappeared within the mass of monsters, gradually making their way through towards the outer edge of the sea of darkness.

"We need to get her outta here," just as Roxas' comment left his mouth, her gaze fell to the creatures around them, heads turning towards the team as they appeared to part until they were surrounded in a small clearing, much like they had been while she, the boy and Xander had been in an empty space. Her eyes grew wide, a shudder racing up her spine.

"Leaving so soon?" the boys' voice, close to her ear. Abruptly halting, the group stopping as well, they swiftly turned towards him, Sarafina feeling confliction as she saw what could only be described as an innocent child's face, soft features, young. Younger in appearance compared to the others, but about the same in stature to Vanitas. He was a kid, like the rest of them.

"The fun is just beginning," her father spoke up, grating against her senses and frustrating her further as she glanced towards him, the creatures stepping aside to let him through as if he were some important celebrity. Far in the distance, she could see the shadows being flung aside and knocked away, Keyblades glinting against the dim light from the half cloud covered sun.

"Figured we'd leave the party early, not a big fan of them," Vanitas shrugged from slightly ahead of Sarafina, her jaw clenching with anxiety as she felt as though they were going to be hurt. The feel of a weigh leaving her drew a fraction of her attention, her eyes flickering to the disappearance of the suits that had once hidden them among the creatures, the ravenette having revealed after they were caught.

"That's disappointing," the tone he'd used made her itch, the layers of skin beneath the outer layer buzzing with anger and apprehension, "And here I was hoping to entertain with quite the spectacle. I hear rituals are all the rage," that, she'd heard her grandfather mention something regarding her father wanting to use her in a ritual, but she hadn't understood at the time.

"What were you planning to do with Sarafina?!" Riku snapped, the lilac-haired girl feeling incredible warmth resonating from the boy, along with the rest of the group as they appeared to slowly surround her, Sara finding herself standing in her own circle of safety and reassurance.

"Sarafina," at the calm, unnervingly composed and amused chuckle, she scowled towards him, a coldness clawing up her spine as the single word was repeated, anxiety building as she knew what was coming, "That name, as much of an illusion as your so-called friendship with these children," he began to laugh, the sound originating from deep in his chest, genuinely entertained by it.

"What's so funny?!" Axel shot towards the man from over Sarafina's shoulder, standing between her and the creatures from behind her. Seeing the smirk grow across Xander's features and the horrid glint in his eye, tension laced her veins, her pulse thrumming in her skull. The torture, the pain that throbbed in her mind as she could already hear the name on the tip of the twisted mans' tongue.

"What you have with them isn't a friendship. It's a lie," she internally shook, eyes widening with worry and fear building fast within her heart. She didn't want this. She knew it was coming, the taunting torment she knew her father adored putting her through.

"Stop," she rasped softly, barely audible and unheard by the rest of the group as their focus refused to leave the danger standing ahead of them. The fear grew and thickened, Sarafina finding her mouth drying quickly, her throat closing up.

"That isn't her name," her cruel father informed with a deep tone, foreboding and entertained as his evil gaze landed on her, pinning her to her spot with just that look in his eye. She felt numb, nerves shaking and resolve breaking.

"Sarafina is simply an attempt to cast away her past, to abandon what she came to be before my father's interference," outwardly, she felt her body clench, hatred and panic mingling on her skin and in her skull, "Though as fate would have it, she can't run from what she is," internally pleading, she wanted to leave, wanted to hide away with another name if only to hide the past from herself rather than others. Without really noticing it herself, her pleading gaze had flickered to the boy for a moment, unaware of the change in outward expression before her scared stare returned to her father, "Isn't that right-," _please, stop. Don't!_ "-Xaila?"


	19. Chapter 19

"I don't go by that name anymore!" she shook, her words wavering as the memories flickered through her straining mind, having locked most, if not all, of her past away, ignoring it from the time she'd escaped her hell.

"A rose by any other name, my dear," despite the calmness to his tone, she could feel his growing irritation, Sarafina able to sense the moment building with tension between herself and the man. Worry refused to ebb as the mans' presence supplied her with doubt that she would be safe, that she would leave the Graveyard without injuries, be them physical, mental or emotional. Her friends… an illusion. Her love… an illusion… _Why…_

"I don't care," her gaze grew wide, eyes lifting to Riku as he stood directly ahead of her, having put himself between her and her father as if to shield her from the man and what he had planned. It seemed to catch her fathers' attention as well, a flat stare replacing his amusement as his focus had shifted what she knew he thought was not worth his attention.

"Pardon?" her father replied forcefully, his tone making it clear that it physically irritated him that he had to speak with another while all he obviously wanted to do was torture and taunt Sarafina. She knew the man too well, despite having not seen him for years.

"I don't care," Riku repeated with the same air and disinterest to his tone, Sarafina watching him with concern, "I don't care what her name is, what she is, who she was," awe gradually replaced it, warmth slowly building in her chest, "Xaila, Sarafina, Xehanort's granddaughter," the silverette shrugged, the lilac-haired girl feeling the warmth spread, "I don't care," he took a step back, her being able to feel some heat radiating between the narrow proximity.

"None of us do!" she heard Aqua from her side, glancing towards her to see the pure and genuine smile gracing her lips as their eyes met, the comfort and reassurance pouring from the woman like the heated water from a tap before taking a nice bath.

"What she has with all of us, those idiots included, isn't some illusion," Terra joined in, Sarafina letting her gaze drift to her other side, the brunette man sharing a smile with her as well before directing a scowl towards her father. The look of pure boredom was evident on his face, unbothered by the care that they all shared.

"We're friends," Axel spoke up from behind her, Sara turning her head to see the hefty and warm smirk playing on his face, "Partners," he shrugged, his eyes locking with hers for just a moment. The warmth, the comfort, reassurance and happiness. She could feel it building her back up, overshadowing her fear, apprehension and anxiety.

"Family," her gaze was directed ahead and to her side, landing on the ravenette beside Riku. Vanitas seemed serious, his posture, his tone. He was ready for a fight, his resolve firm and unwavering in his voice… _He, along with everyone else… they were ready to fight for her._ She could feel the corner of her eyes burning, itching to let an overwhelmed tear slip from her duct.

"As delusional as my daughter, it seems," her father sighed heavily, Sarafina's attention falling back to the horrid man to see the distaste for them obvious on his face. She watched as he spared her a dark look before he turned away to face the young boy standing a little ways away, petting one of the monsters that crouched at his booted feet, "Valon," her father called to him casually.

It was a signal, however. She watched with instant alarm as the boy raised his arm, hand lifting and splaying before waving it back down with a bit more speed. And it was as if a gate had been lifted, the mass of dark creatures taking over their sight as they were rushed, lights flickering as Keyblades were summoned and swung! Even she called on her own, reflex taking over as she was suddenly back to back with Riku, the two keeping track of each other while fending off shadow after shadow, yells and grunts being sounded by the others in the sea of darkness that surrounded them.

The creatures swarmed them, Sarafina barely able to see where each of the others were until they actually swung their weapons, the group having been spread further apart as the monsters rushed and backed them. She was worried, immediately thinking that this was what Xander had wanted so that he could take her again. But then-.

Without warning, she was spun, fighting another, _bigger,_ type of shadow creature as Riku had turned them and then aimed his blade over Sarafina's shoulder. Getting the hint, she aimed her own Keyblade, both sending a bright beam towards the thing. It was struck, the light engulfing it and clearing the space it had taken up.

Her gaze narrowed in confusion as she noticed the lessened sea of creatures, more than half having disappeared… _along with the boy._ He was gone. She looked everywhere, gaze flickering. She could see Xander, but the other one…

"Where's the kid?" she voiced her thoughts, fluidly following Riku's lead as they continued fighting what monster had been left behind. She felt as though the kid must have used a portal to leave or had maybe found himself a place to watch the battle without risking getting hurt himself.

"The guy your old man called Valon?" _she recalled her father using the name,_ though it didn't stop her from wanting to keep her distance by continuing to call him _kid,_ he felt wrong to her, yet… oddly familiar, "Who cares?" the silverette questioned rhetorically as he spun them again to ward off more of the shadows, a few being struck and bursting into smoke with each hit they received.

"I do!" she couldn't tell whether he'd just left or was watching from a safe distance, having been unable to gauge him, she didn't want to risk not having an eye on him, "There are fewer monsters and I can't see him anywhere!" and _that_ seemed to catch his attention, flickering his eyes around while taking out a creature here and there.

"AXEL!" the moment she'd heard Roxas' cracking shout, Sarafina threw her gaze towards where she'd last seen the redhead, seeing the black blast originating from the dark shroud the creatures gave her father. He'd attacked for the first time since she'd woken up in the Graveyard.

Her blood ran cold, sound muffling, time slowing as she saw the blood spurt from the flame wielders mouth, body doubling over as the blast had struck his side from his mid-section to his thigh. She watched as he hit the floor hard, straining and growling as the pain no doubt spread through him like a wildfire that even _he_ couldn't control.

"Roxas! Get to him! I got your back!" she heard Sora snap after he'd joined the group along with Ventus at some point, seeing the two fighting alongside the others and aiding where they could, Terra and Aqua having a better defence as they had more power to hold off the larger shadows. And Riku, she was continuously defended, noting that they were slowly getting closer and closer while she was still fixed on the redhead that had fallen. _She'd caused this…_

"Ven!" her gaze snapped around again, minor relief lacing her veins upon seeing Vanitas defend his other half, getting hit but not falling before sending a wave of his darkness through the sea, Unversed exploding from his power and joining the battle with them as their own comrades. _This was her fault…_

"I need to stop this," she muttered quietly, the words leaving in a breath that no one could hear. She had to save them from what she'd started, from what she'd caused. _This wouldn't have happened if they hadn't met me._

Her thoughts spiralled, tears building as she watched Terra get hit, knocking aside but striking and taking out the monster that hit him, blood slowly colouring the side of his compression shirt but he still didn't stop. He continued fighting, ignoring his pain that she could almost feel herself.

_She had to STOP this!_

She took a step away, a shadow suddenly appearing in her peripheral. Though before she could react, she heard a gunshot, loud and ear-splitting, echoing through the Graveyard and drawing all attention, even the monsters that had them surrounded. The silence grew, eyes fixated towards a wall of portals, but none from their own darkness-users.

"So, you started the fight without us?"


	20. Chapter 20

"Zack?" Terra muttered in question, uncertain of whether his eyes were playing tricks on him after the soldier and a group of others appeared through the portals, Leon from Radiant Garden having been the one to pull the trigger and let his bullet fly.

"Hey, Terra!" still stunned by the ravenette, he watched with wide eyes as he jogged between the rows of creatures, swinging his blade as they returned from their stupor and continued their attack. He didn't seem the least bit bothered as they launched between them, only striking the shadow to remove it from the straight path he made towards the brunette.

"Yen-Sid said that he'd felt a disturbance and informed us of what he'd seen," he heard the King explain as he joined the fray, the rest of the Restoration Committee including themselves as well, weapons being drawn, magic being used. Relief blanketed his tension, easing it fast.

"It sounded like you needed some help," Leon assumed correctly from somewhere in the shadows, Terra faintly hearing Sora reply with an excited nuance, also invisible due to the dark monsters flailing and attacking.

"Aerith! Axel needs help!" Roxas called from where he stood guard over the redhead, using both Keyblades to keep the creatures at bay while protecting the man from any further injury. Terra could see the leader of the Committee as well as Cloud heading towards the two, Aerith safely sprinting between the two.

"Lemme kiss it better," Zack drew his attention, the brunette unable to get a word in before he was drawn into a quick embrace with lips pressing against his own, Terra stuck between pushing him away due to them being in the middle of a fight and just letting it happen s they hadn't had the chance in almost a week. _But then they were really risking getting hurt like this._

"Zack, not the time," he muttered into the kiss, lips brushing warmly. He pressed a hand against the mans' chest, putting next to no effort behind it as he saw the smile gracing the others' lips. _He was incredibly whipped…_

"We're in the middle of battle!" he heard Aqua call from directly beside them, Terra flicking his gaze to her in time to see the woman take out a shadow that had been about to attack them, the creature exploding into black smoke as it had lost against her blade. Though the fact that they hadn't seen the monster coming told him that they really needed to rejoin reality.

"We'll continue this later," the soldier mentioned, Terra turning back towards him just as the other leaned in, having predicted the brunettes' movements. He pecked his lips, a grin stretching across the mans' face as a warmth spread across Terra's, his cheeks heating up just slightly.

* * *

"You'd think they'd take this seriously with the fight goin' on," she heard Riku chuckle drily as he swung and protected her from another shadow, Sarafina taking out a few of the ones in front of her at the time.

"It's Zack, he doesn't take anything seriously," she replied with a deadpanned tone, a flat expression being flickered towards the two that continued fighting, Zack seemingly refusing to leave his side, "He likes to fight while having fun, even if his life is at risk," not that she'd _seen_ it, she was going on Terra's regular exasperation towards the trait, though he found it to be admirable. _She knew that from the fondness in his tone every time._

"He needs to sort out his priorities," the silverette replied, grunting as another was struck down, "What d'you want me to call you, anyway? Sarafina? Xaila?" he asked with a pause here and there as he blocked and swung his blade, she and Riku still back to back while gravitating between the creatures.

"Can we talk about this some other time?" she huffed exasperatedly, having had enough of her past being brought up within the last hour or so. Enough had been explained that she wasn't even sure that there was more to tell after that. _They practically had her life story._

"I'm sorry about your homeworld," Sarafina mentioned after a lingering moment of silence between them, the battle still raging, but less so as Shadows were taken out with more fluidity now that there were more people there.

"It wasn't your fault," Riku replied almost immediately, Sarafina feeling his broad back press against hers for a moment he spun them again, this time, the silverette forcing them to face each other for a lingering few seconds before he threw a blast over his shoulder to the shadow creatures behind her.

"Yes, it was. The heartless wouldn't have existed and you wouldn't have gone through what you did," her voice cracked slightly, faltering as she remembered Sora's thoughtless babbling about what had happened to their islands after she'd asked, having not expected it at all that her creatures had had a hand in the horrible act.

"You didn't make them like that, Xander did!" he argued firmly, a stern glare on his face, but not a glare directed at her. It was for the man that led to their current situation, _though she still blamed herself for it getting as far as it did,_ "He's at fault, not you or me!" _wait…_

"Where IS Xander?!" she asked with widened eyes, swiftly glancing around and over the fewer shadows, able to see the others now that most of the creatures had been taken care of.

She suddenly felt a heavy pressure against her body as if a blanket had been tightly wrapped around her, her form gradually being lifted with panic rushing through her and instantly, Sarafina started squirming and struggling kicking out after she was far above Riku's reach, the boy jumping and shouting for her.

Her shock blasted through her as she saw a ball of darkness strike the silverette, sending him flying through what shadows were left at that point, almost barrelling into Cloud if not for the blonde seeing him coming and managing to stop him.

"Riku!" Sarafina thrashed in the invisible hold, fighting whatever had her in its grasp. Through her struggling, she saw her black coated father rising up from the creatures, gradually making his way closer with a dark and twisted smirk creasing his features.

"Let me go!" she snapped, attempting to kick out at him once he was within kicking distance, the man avoiding it frustratingly, Sara trying again and again while thrashing against her unseen restraints.

"Quite unlikely to happen, my dear," he replied calmly, angering her more that he had regained his composure after her initial escape thanks to the rest of the group and the Committee and the King appearing out of nowhere through the portals she'd seen that boy use to bring his creatures to the Graveyard-… the boy… Valon.

"Give her back!" she heard Riku snap from below, his voice strained. Glancing down, she saw more of the group gathering below, a few of the Committee members still fighting what was left of the monsters, and from her perspective, there weren't many left.

"Afraid not, pests," her father retorted snappishly, his expression returning to a flat, unimpressed stare as he let his gaze gall to her friends.


	21. Chapter 21

"As expected of my father to have hidden you within the realm of darkness, he only furthered my plan along," her father chuckled softly, his tone far from kind and all the darker than before, "What he failed in his creation, I've achieved in my own," she could feel his words against her ear, clawing at her inner eardrums, "To create a weapon such as the X-Blade, one needs a pure heart thrust through the contrasting purity. A purely dark heart thrown into the realm of light, or… a purely light heart…" he left off, trailing his words.

"-Thrown into the realm of darkness," Sarafina dropped her faltering gaze as the realization in her own words struck her, her heart skipping faster and faster, the pace of each beat growing in speed and growing in volume within her skull, pounding louder and louder, faster and faster.

"Precisely," she could _hear_ the entertainment in his voice, his tone dripping with smug victory as he'd achieved what he'd waited so long for, "I'll admit, it was a tiring process, the effort needed to remain patient for as long as I have," Xander complained with an almost flippant air wafting around his words, "But then, the wait was worth it to have a heart as manipulated as it is now," a heart… _her_ heart. Of pure light, thrust into the dark. _The dark, darkness had tainted her._

She felt a surging rush through her veins, pulling taut at her muscles and mind, her eyes glazing over with a slightly darker tint. Sarafina could feel the heat reaching her skin, resignation to what she was, _what she is,_ building and building within her chest, spreading from her core and warming her further. She could feel the burn of her powers scratching along her skin, clawing harshly.

"Stop what you're doing," her fathers' voice warned, Sara blinking behind her darkened eyes to see flames as dark as the realm she'd been thrown into, an aura of said dark flames wafting around her body, swaying with the uneven winds from where she'd been held by her fathers' force. She watched as he very subtly eased away from her, eyes sharply focused yet hiding something, something he refused to show upon seeing her this way.

Growling softly, her flames expanded, Xander shifting farther away by a handful of inches. Her earlier anger, she could still hear it screaming at her, telling her to let loose, to allow herself to let go. The voice was her own, but darker, heavier, almost comforting. She knew the voice. _Avonia._

The warmth in the familiarity of the voice she recognized, she did let go, heat thrashing through her body and the moment she'd let go, she saw her face, the anger the creature had bursting from her in a scream, flames exploding and building to the sky in a single, large burst. Her voice echoed with her Heartless', the two mixing in radio.

"Avonia!" Sarafina and the Heartless yelled together the former able to feel her control halving, her creature taking her share within her body. Her head was thrust back, her voice resounding with the powerful creature, the sky faltering with shade and growing dark with her power still rocketing skyward.

* * *

"If you guys' value your sanity, we outta get out of the strike range!" Vanitas called out in warning, gradually backing up with most of the group following behind him. Thankfully, Ventus had been ahead of him in his warning, the blonde moving a tad faster while everyone helped the injured out of the way.

"What the hell's going on?!" the silverette exclaimed as he'd reluctantly caught up to the darker soul, Vanitas fully aware that he hadn't wanted to leave her, but judging from Cid being directly behind him with a grumpy-ass stare, he hadn't had a choice in the matter.

"She's summoned her Heartless!" he replied bluntly, getting straight to the point to avoid any unnecessary bush beating, "And it's not just _any_ Heartless!" he added while taking a swift glance over his shoulder towards their friend. Vanitas felt lacklustre about seeing it, even wary of the creature she'd called on. He and Ven had been told that she was the last resort, and for her to be summoned…

Once they were far enough away, his pace had slowed to a halt, Vanitas stopping beside Ven and the rest of the group, the injured being set aside and promptly treated. He could barely believe it, his golden gaze focused solely on the darkness surrounding their friend, _family._ He hadn't expected to see that Heartless any time soon. It towered behind Sarafina, intimidating, more so than _any_ of his Unversed or any Shadow and Heartless he'd ever seen. She put his creatures to shame in that regard. Completely black from the purity of Darkness, standing from Twenty to Thirty feet.

"Avonia," Ventus muttered softly beside him, the two watching as their friend expected coughed, her lips turning slightly red from the blood that left her, "The very first Heartless," she could handle it, but her body, with the state it was in, he wasn't so sure she could, the blood being a sign of that, "Not easily manipulated and only listens to one person," Vanitas let his gaze drift to the others, watching the shock build, the stun grow and concern skyrocket as she coughed up a bit more blood and began to lose consciousness, the Heartless taking control _for_ her, "Sarafina has the Mother of Heartless within her,"

"He's in for it now," Vanitas comment curtly, arms crossing over his chest to hide his building worry. He didn't like where this seemed to be going, even less that Sara had lost consciousness and let her Heartless have the wheel, said Heartless looking anything but happy as its bright yellow eyes fell to the enemy, "She's pissed,"

"I can't watch this," Ven muttered, the darker soul dropping his gaze to him to see that his hands were covering his face before pressing himself against the darker souls' side as if to actually shield himself from watching what they both know was coming now that Avonia had her power and control. Vanitas would be surprised if the Graveyard would even survive this battle.


	22. Chapter 22

The shadows having been dispelled by the team, Heartless took their place, puffs of smoke appearing all over the Graveyard floor with creatures slinking out of them, squirming and twitching, all heads lifting to the larger and feared behemoth in the sky, its arms bent out ahead of itself with a red and black aura forming a circle around its hands.

Feeling a harsh vibration building beneath, within the air and under the ground, the creatures shook with it, the wind picking up within the blasting radio, rocks shifting and lifting like reverse rain or something. They were within the circle of what that sphere would destroy, "Mother," a few hissed fondly, another few growling a "Queen," over and over again, more and more Heartless greeting and calling to the much larger one above them.

Xander growled in irritation and confusion, able to _hear_ the voices from the little monsters, though it sounded more like it was all within his skull. He flickered his gaze around, apprehension building and growing, scratching beneath his skin as he continued shifting away from the monster ahead of him the larger the ball of power grew, its eyes fixated on him.

"You cannot destroy me, you filthy monster! I am your MASTER!" Xander snapped, scowling at the beast of a Heartless with venomous rage building in his chest. He refused to acknowledge the light sweat peppering his skin beneath the black coat and at the base of his neck. He refused to admit the concern and apprehension warning him to back away, to leave.

The way it cocked its head, seemingly amused with a heavy feeling of patronization reaching him from the creature, Xander feeling as though he were seen as a child by the monster.

"You are not," its tone, soft, deep, female. It echoed very slightly with a rhythmical thrum to its voice, and then "Die!" it suddenly hissed, sharper, razor-like in comparison and hot with rage. Its arms shot out towards him, straightening. He saw the attack, the ball or blast heading straight for him.

Fear had struck just as it reached him, seeming far larger than before. And the pain, he was engulfed by the attack, body burning. Screams left his throat, raw and loud, chest heaving with the shriek that clawed its way up to his throat, breaking through his widely agape mouth, form heating and heating, feeling as though it were on fire. The pain rushed through him, spiralling throughout his body like boiling water, _volcanic_ water!

While aflame, the wind did nothing to douse it as he fell, falling faster and faster with the ground coming in quick, his straining eyes barely focused but he could still just about see it closing in.

* * *

Riku felt nothing but justice when he saw the man hit the ground, almost able to feel the vibration in the ground on impact. He deserved what he got and felt as though he should have gotten a worse attack, not that he assumed Avonia held anything back. _Not that he knew the Heartless or anything._

Flickering his gaze from the unconscious body, he let his eyes drift to each Heartless as they gradually poofed out of existence, his blue stare lifting across the way towards the mother and Sarafina, jaw clenching tight as he saw the two descend slowly, gently landing with the creature holding the girl in her arms, Avonia having shrunk some along the way.

He swallowed thickly, fixed on the two. Without thought, his legs started moving without him, leaving the others behind as he jogged over to where the Heartless and Sarafina were sat. His heart pounded in his chest, beating fast and loud, even in his head, pulsating with worry burning in his veins. Having closed the distance, he had to quickly slow down so as not to run into them, coming to a halt dead ahead of them, directly above the girl.

He felt the eyes of the creature lift to him, her stare boring through him, but not in a way that made him feel uncomfortable, his own too focused on Sara to properly acknowledge whatever the sensation was. He hesitated to lower himself, not wanting to disturb if that would be the case, but then he felt an odd soft fur against his hand, Riku's gaze flicking to the hand that had encased his own and drew him down, the silverette dropping none too gracefully to his knees directly beside the girl and in front of the Heartless.

She was shifted, Sarafina being inched into his own arms and cradled gently, softly, comfortably. He had no clue what he was meant to do, finding himself curving his body to press his forehead against hers, feeling the chill from cold skin. There was still life, just barely. The corners of his eyes burned slightly.

"Come back," he muttered softly, wanting her to wake up, wanting her to see his face, to see that she'd saved them all. _That they were all safe because of her,_ "Please!" he whispered, straining as his eyes burned, feeling wet around the edges as a single tear broke through his resolve.

Attention faltering some, he saw the faded and light blue hue being cast over them, Riku slowly lifting his tearing eyes to the sky, grim awe crossing his features as he saw the clouds parting around the massive heart-shaped moon in the sky, hung directly above them. He gritted his teeth, more tears flooding as the realization came to him, having heard Ventus' tale from his and Vanitas' fight, how the moon had a part in rebirth, but needing to remove the being to help return the being later.

_Sarafina would be taken from them, from him._ He sobbed gently, barely audible. He held her tighter, returning his forehead to hers with his eyes shut tight, wanting to hide his soft cries but unable to.

"There is no greater power than the sentiment you hold for the one you cherish," the creatures voiced echoed comfortingly within his head, the feeling akin to a soft, warm blanket or warm milk soothing an aching throat. He didn't move, not even as a gentle hand was placed on the back of his head, the Heartless finding it in her to reassure him maybe. It didn't stop the next sob, his cheeks wet with tears.

He couldn't control his emotion, Riku blinking behind the water and seeing nothing but blurs for a long moment. Wiping his eyes upon reluctantly separating their foreheads, he watched her, her peaceful appearance making his heart ache, his blood running colder and colder at the thought that she wouldn't wake up.

Sniffing softly, he gradually lowered himself again, reluctant to let go of her. He gently pressed his lips to hers, a soft, chaste kiss, Riku having thought that it would have been one-sided, but she'd responded, though just barely.

"Her last act, she's given to you," the voice thrummed warmly, the creature's tone coming over pleased. _Sarafina kissed him back as the last act?_

Another sob choked him, Riku letting his voice lace with it as the light grew in intensity, getting brighter and brighter, and focusing on both himself and the girl, mostly on her. He could almost feel the weight of her being lifted, his gaze sadly lowering to her to see her form glow and shimmer like glitter, twinkling from catching the light above them.

Lighter and lighter in his reluctant hands, and she was suddenly gone, the glow dulling and dimming, Riku being left in just the fading light of the moon as clouds began to re-gather and crowd in the sky, only the centre of the heart being left before the rain suddenly struck, pouring by the time the heart was hidden behind the dark clouds, a sound of thunder booming gently from above. _And then he was alone, a hole in his chest, Sarafina nowhere in sight, not in his arms. _He felt cold, frozen.

Another, slightly colder, hand braced his shoulder, Riku not even lifting his head to confirm that it was Sora. He could tell by the touch, but who his best friend was.

"Riku?" the soft tone reached his ears, the silverette nodding slightly, unmoving from where he knelt in the drowning mud and dirt, knees getting wetter and wetter along with the rest of him. He couldn't stand the feeling, unable to comprehend how lost he suddenly felt without her. _They'd known each other, though barely chatted, barely spent an hour talking. _He'd liked her from the start without realizing…

"I wanna stay here for a bit," he informed quietly, in a mutter with no emotion lacing his words, cheeks wet from both his tears and the rain that drenched him, matting his hair and soaking it to his face. They'd all lost a friend, but he felt as though he lost something else, something akin to a limb. _How could he say that to the others?_

"Okay," he felt the hand slowly slip from his shoulder, no steps being taken as of yet, "I'll see you later," and there they were, Riku finally hearing the boots against the wetted ground, splashing softly and expanding the distance between them as his friend returned to the group. _He wasn't the only one hurting, the others were as well. It was a matter of how to deal with it… and he was slightly different in that case._

* * *

Without really registering Sora's comment that Riku would be hanging around in this world, Vanitas waved a hand, a few of his portals opening in a fluttering of purples, blues and mostly black, leading to different worlds. Though just as he did, the brunette copy suddenly sobbed, his voice cracking slightly with tears running down his face, teeth clenched to hold back any other sounds. They all felt like that, wanting to let it out. Vanitas could see it on their faces, Ventus just barely keeping it together by the expression.

Glancing between the others, they'd steeled themselves, finding comfort in whatever physical contact they could from the ones they held closest. Terra, Zack's arm being slung over his shoulders. Roxas focusing on Axel as Cloud and Cid helped lift the other to get him through one of the portals Vanitas had just opened. Aqua was strong, she found it best to hold it until she was alone. And then Sora, who was now held against Leon's chest, arms cradling him and muffling the sobs.

Reaching out to the blonde, Vanitas drew him close, directing him towards the portal that led to The World That Never Was while the rest followed behind. The ravenette could come back later for Riku, aware that the other would prefer a neutral party that wouldn't blubber and could hold himself better than the best of them. _The perks of being darkness, he supposed._

_Not that he wasn't hurt and wouldn't mourn. Vanitas, much like Riku, would be alone when he let out whatever feeling he had._


	23. Chapter 23

**_Vanitas - Ventus_**

He'd held him for almost an hour after he and Ventus had ported into the darker souls' bedroom, the two sharing a close space on the mattress with Vanitas cradling the other to his chest, letting him use his shirt as a towel for his tears and even waving off every apology for wetting the shirt.

Running his fingers up and down the others back, he pressed his face to the blondes' hair, glad that he hadn't been harmed at all even though he'd gone along with his bizarre plan, though it'd been well thought out. He'd forgotten to inform that none of the creatures would have turned on them due to the feel of his darkness encasing them entirely. _He'd tell them later, once everyone had calmed down and re-gathered to mourn together._

"I wonder how they're doing," he heard muffled against his chest, his hand still running along the other's spine as he hummed in question, noting the strained voice and cracking tone, "Riku and Sora," the blonde mentioned, Vanitas feeling him cuddle further into him, head shifting to press against his upper chest, "They're… younger than us," _younger…_ less experienced with loss like this.

Vanitas could never really feel loss, he knew the _idea_ of it and mourned, but he hadn't truly felt it until then, not that he could outwardly express it all that well. Ven, Terra and Aqua… they'd lost their master, their father.

"They'll get through it. They have masters looking out for them," he knew that Ven understood the sentence, _Masters_ being the three he'd fought against and then joined soon after. The masters were the glue and they all knew it, the three having been training the younger Keybearers since they were all awakened years after Xehanort's scheming.

"I hope you're including yourself in that," he blinked curtly, quirking slightly as the slightly muffled words were processed. Feeling the other shift against him, Vanitas lifting his head to be met by his bright blue gaze, warm, comforting, slightly red-rimmed, "You sell yourself short. You're one of us," he swallowed softly, having been reluctant to think that they considered him a Master among them, but then, _so was-_ "And so is she,"

He let a soft smile grace his lips, Ventus having taken the words from his mind and spoke them for him. Returning his head to the pillow, he drew the blonde closer, their foreheads pressing as they shared the cushion.

* * *

**_Axel - Roxas_**

He winced as the bandages were tightened around his waist, Axel having to close his eyes and gnaw on his gum to stop himself from hissing or groaning from the throb that itched along his skin. He was used to burns, having a fire inside of him. _But outside of him was another matter, especially when they weren't his._

"Sorry," he heard the blonde mutter softly, sounding guilty for the pain that flickered. It wasn't his fault and he figured that Roxas would understand that. If anything, he'd expected the other to be pissed off at him and enraged at that Xander guy. But instead, he seemed more subdued than anything else.

"No worries," he'd replied, wanting to avoid a longwinded argument if Axel did say _It's not your fault,_ fully aware that the other Nobody would blame himself for causing more pain, even if it was just to cover up his already hurt body.

"Yo, you okay?" lifting his gaze towards the door with a rather startled stare, he saw Reno standing in the threshold, casually leaning against the frame with a humourless smirk on his face. An expression that told him that he wasn't at all happy that there had been a fight and that he'd gotten hurt somewhere along the way with the other redheads' knowledge. Despite having been avoiding the other, they could read each other like a childrens' book.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Axel replied curtly, breathing softly so as not agitate the huge burn-.

"No, _I'm_ fine! You've got a burn from your thigh to your ribcage!" _and there was that anger he'd been waiting for._ Axel flickered his stare to the blonde, watching him seethe, a scowl on his face directly at the redhead while his hands were holding the ends of a bandage against Axel's side, "That's not fine," he added in a growl, a _hiss_.

"Seriously?!" the other redhead spoke up, Axel glancing towards him with a deadpanned look to see how wide his eyes really were. He appeared pretty shocked by the stare he got in return.

"Yeah, seriously," Roxas answered for him, the Chakram wielder having been about to reply at the same time. He returned his eyes to the blonde, the scowl darkening as if to dare him to say otherwise. _Which he wouldn't, because he actually liked life, surprisingly preferring it over a swift but painful death by Roxas._

"Fine…" Axel muttered softly, finally giving in and resigning to the Nobody, noting the instant relaxation that came after his reply, "I'll _be_ fine," he admitted without actually saying how hurt he actually was, the flat look he received drawing a gentle chuckle from his chest, _and Axel being Axel…_ "-As soon as you hug me and hand-feed me," he smirked, a stifled snort originating from the doorway.

"I'll break you," Roxas replied after a moment, expression almost completely indifferent, _almost._ He could see that well-hidden relief blanketing the mind and shoulders of the other after Axel had finally responded with humour instead of winces or aching panting huffs.

"Don't you just love a happy couple, Rude?" both lifting their eyes to the door, they saw the extra person standing tall behind the redhead, neither having noticed the additional presence hovering in the background. _A freakin' ninja, that guy…_

* * *

**_Sora - Leon_**

"Replace the green with the blue and then flick the switch behind the access panel," he listened to the older mans' instructions, Sora eyeing them over and repeating the sentence in his head, trying to ignore the sadness attempting to creep its way back into the forefront of his mind.

"Green," he muttered out loud, reaching out for the dummy control box that Leon had retrieved for him to learn with, "Blue," he added, replacing the green with it and watching the very fine spark it gave off, "And the switch," he flipped it, the whir of the box becoming live filling the little space between the two in the older mans' living room.

"Are you sure that this is how you want to spend your time right now, Sora?" said man asked after a long moment of silence, Sora returning the box to how it had been set previously to restart the lesson. He had to keep thinking, but not about _that_. He had to stay strong, especially after having already broken down. _He was stronger than that. He had to be._

"I need a distraction… at least until Riku comes back," the younger brunette replied calmly, or as calmly as he could muster, trying to wave off the shake in his tone as he let his gaze drop slightly. He remembered his heavy reluctance to leave his friend there, but the tone he'd replied with, the broken edge to it. He couldn't say otherwise or ask him to get up or to come back with them. _It hurt to hear it, having not heard it in years._

"Alright," the older responded softly, Sora going back to the wires and reaching for the blue-, "Wrong one," Leon pointed out smoothly, pointing it out to the Keybearer before he then reached for the green like he was supposed to, "You'd make a terrible engineer," the other joked, trying to lighten the mood just slightly, and as good as the intention was, Sora let a gentle scoff leave him.

"I'll stick to fighting your Nobodies and Heartless since you still haven't gotten rid of them," he teased back, hearing the feigned incredulous scoff that left the Committee leader, the brunette glancing up to see the amused stare he was being given.

* * *

**_Riku_**

He hadn't moved from the spot he'd been left in, Riku staring up at the heart-shaped moon after the downpour had ebbed, the clouds having eased apart to let the blue light shine down, casting over him and the graveyard, _a rightly named world._

He'd been silently asking her to return, to come back, tears having dried against his cheeks in the time it'd taken to ask within the hour to two hours the Keybearer had been sitting on damp land, clothes drenched. The lost, empty coldness had crawled up his spine, the reassurance and comfort Avonia had given him now long gone and giving him no shield or defence for the sadness that scratched his heart.

"She'll come back," Riku blinked, dubious about whether the voice was in his head this time. He lowered his gaze to the ground, staring at it for a long moment before deciding that it hadn't and slowly turned to stare over his shoulder at the two men a few feet away, one standing further back than the other like he wanted to give them their space.

"How can you be so sure," he asked the master, unwilling to completely face the other man, but doing so anyway, turning side-on to Terra so that he wouldn't strain his neck as the other strode closer, entering his bubble of growing depression and loneliness. Both of which stepped aside as reassurance wanted to return, the older man giving it to him by just being there.

"Because _we_ did," he watched as Terra knelt beside him, towering even though the other was only a few inches taller due to the similarity in physical age, "We were returned from the darkness thanks to all of you," his words processing, Riku stared, _gazed,_ the reassurance building back up, more so when the heavy hand was placed on his shoulder, firm, unwavering, "She'll come back," even his voice was strong, no falter or crack being heard as he had with Sora's.

"Then I'll wait for her," he replied, feeling the light, the remnants of what Sarafina left for him before her disappearance. His eyes never fell from the other, both stares locked and firm, Terra's seeming far stronger. _Why wouldn't it be? The man was a Master, strength pouring from him like it did on a daily basis._

"Wait for her with the rest of us," there was Riku's hesitance, the Keybearer's gaze flickering to the hand that was held out to him, no shake being seen, no fear, pain, resistance, "We'll all wait for her together," the man smiled softly, Riku hesitantly reaching his own out, feeling the other hand clamp firmly, reassuringly, _comfortingly._ They were there for him, they all were. _They were there for **each other**._

"C'mon," the brunette Master gestured towards Zack and the Masters' portal, the glow bright and blinding. Being pulled to his feet, the grip was tight, firm as he was led towards the swirling light, Riku taking a last glance over his shoulder and up to the Heart-shape moon, feeling its warmth and reassurance. _He'd be back. He'd wait for her, no matter how long it took._

* * *

VOD: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this edit/re-upload of First Spark. [The sequel is on **_Vanitas' Queen21's_** page if you want to read what we have of that so far.]


End file.
